Evening star., 1931-12-31
TARDY CAR OWNERS
JAM TRAFFIC ROOM
TO SECURE TITLES
500 Seek Certificates to
Avoid Arrest for Lack
of New Tags.
GLASSFORD CONCESSION
CAUSES LATE-H0UR RUSH
Permission to Use 1881 Plates
After January l Given if
Registration Is Made.

Crowds Of automobile owners, seeking
10 file applications for a certificate Of
title before the old year closes and thus
escape the possibility of arrest, jammed
the cramped Offices Of the traffic depart
nent today. while frenzied clerks
worked in vain to diminish the long
line of applicants. .,,
Nearly 500 persons had filed title
applications by noon, and at least IhaI
many more are expected before the
traffic department closes this afternoon
at 4:30.
The last-minute rush to file title ap-
pHcations is the result OF decision
of Brig. Gen. Pelham D. GlasSford, SD
perintendent of police, to permit own own
ers of untitled cars to operate them
after January /, providing they had
filed an application for title. Ihe
traffic act. however forbidS the opera
tion of untitled cars after January, l.
but Gen. Glassford has instructed lne
police to wink" at the law until rep
Tuarv !. the date set for the expiration
Of 1881 District tags.
Tag Bureau Crowded.
The Tag Distribution Bureau in the
Ford Building at John Marshall place
and PENNSYLVANIA avenue also was
crowded today with motorists seeking
1882 tags. The rush there was uneH-
oected because of a recent rullng OF
TRAFFIC Director William A. Van Duzer
permitting the use of 1881 tags until
February l.
Despite complaints of lest certitlcates
OF title or misplaced applcatlohS IoI
tags Mr.. Van DuZer insists there mas
been very few such cases. Most of the
complaints. he said, have come from
persons who moved after filing an ap-
plication for a title and failed to tur-
Tish the post Office or the Traffic De-
partment with the new address.
Thus far Mr.. Van Duzer said, the
post Office has returned approximately
1900 applications for tags Of persons
who had moved These applications
have been filed and motorists who have
not received a certificate Of title or tag
application are requested by the traffic
director to. call at the Traffic Depart
mert and make inquiry. The papers
will be turned over to them upon prop
er identification.
Titles Being Mailed.
Title certificates are now being
mailed to persons who filed an appll-
cation for a title 10 days ago. The
Van Duzer usually is mailed a day
after the certificate of title is sent
out.
Some confusion has been caused as
q result of the failure of Maryland to
extend the expiration date on the 1881
tags of that State. The Maryland
tags for 1881 expire at midnight to-
night, but residents of the District,
who have recently moved from Mary
land and have not received District
titles or District tags for 1882, it was
said, will be permitted to drive on
the 1881 Maryland tags until Febru-
ary /. Maryland authorities have been
requested to recognize the tags until
that date, and drivers using the 1881
MARYLAND tags are being given re-
ceipt to show they have made appll-
cation for a title nd 1882 District tags.
Latest reports submitted to Mr.. Van
Duzer show that 1l5,200 title applica-
tions have been filed, and that GER
tifcates Of title have been issued for
100000 vehicles. Mr. Van Duzer has
estimated there are 10000 vehicles in
the District, which leaves 4800 vehicles
for which titles have not yet been re-
ouested. The traffic director. however.
believes his Office will complete its
titling work by the latter part Of next
week.
2,00O Tags Distributed.
Although 100000 cars have been titled
and tag applications issued for them,
the traffic department has distributed
only y 900 tags The time extension on
1881 tags is believed to be responsible
for the failure Of many car owners to
apply for 1882 tags.
one Of the complaints to the traffic
authorities was made by Charles H.
Shaw, 1906 Kenilworth avenue south
east, whose original applications for
titles for his two cars, one truck and
the other a passenger car, evidently
we're lost in the Traffic Department
The original applications, Mr.. Shaw
said were fled July 25. AT the direC-
ton of traffic officials, he said. he filed
a second set of applications october 6.
Ten DAYS later the certificate of title
was issued for his passenger car, he
said but the certificate of title for the
truck was not issued until Decem-
Der II.
Aside from the loss Of his time at
the Traffic Department inquiring abo-t
the titles. Mr.. Shaw said he was put to
the expense Of paying two fees for
notary service and also for his certificate
OF title because he attached 81 in cash
10 his original applications and failed
to get a receipt.