The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-12-08
REGISTRATION
OF CARS NEAR
ALL time HIGH
Officials Wonder if State
Will Place 18th in
This Regard

North Carolina automobile regis
trations rise toward a new all-time
high State Motor Vehicle officials
specialized on whether it would
boost the state from 18th place
toward the top in the national
registration rating.
It was pointed out that North
Carolina in 1885 led all states in
the South with registrations.
Georgia was second and ranked
goth in national rating. Virginia
was third and ranked 2lst in the
nations list.
Tar Heel registrations last year
struck the note of $50, l52, as re-
ported by the Automobile Manu-
facturers Association. Virginia
registered 3S5.555 vehicles.
State Motor Vehicle officials
said this years registrations prob
ably would run well over $4,000.
On December 5, registrations had
reached 547,907.
The rise in registrations is due,
motor vehicle officials believe, TO
q sounder economic situation, pro-
PEELED By a loosening up of money
throughout the state and nation.
X. X. Mclaughlin. director of
the State Motor Vehicle division,
said he believed automobile regis
tration is one of the best barome-
tiers known to indicate prosperity.
In 1884. North Carolina ranked
10th i'm national registration and
moved up into 18th place last
year.
Between the years 1880 and
1885. lowest figures of registra-
ton occurred in 1882 in North
Carolina when only 376,S26 auto
mobiles were listed. In 1880 there
were 4S3.24l. The decline began
the following year. The rise be-
gan in 1884.
However. compared to the ma
tional figures, North Carolina
made its comeback a year earlier. !
In 1880 national registration was
listed at 26.545,2Sl and continued
to drop. II began rising toward
a peak again in 1885. TO reach al !
most as great a figure as in 1880 !
with 26,22l.052 registrations.
Virginia registrations for 1885 |
were reported at 3SS,555. the low
est during the five-year period. In |
1880 registrations totaled $780,
$50.
To the south. South Carolina
rocked along at a fairly even keel,
falling from 2lS,402 in 1880 to ,
162.735 in 1888. but rising up to
235,919 in 1888.
Last year there were 39S,22l
passenger cars in operation in
Norht Carolina compared to 1884, |
SIS the year before, and 397, 1913
in 1890.
Motor trucks increased during
the fve-year period, from Sc, 1OS
in 1880 to 1891 in 1885.
Every seventh and a half per-
son had a car in the state last
year as North Carolina ranked
4eth in number Of persons assign
ed TO each vehicle. California led
the states with the feweSt. two
and a half persons. Alabama as
signed the most persons, ll.6S, to
a'single car. Virginia ranked seth,
right alongside North Carolina,
with 6.Si persons to vehicle.
North Carolina used 1858 mo-
tor trucks on farms in 1880, the !
only figure available for farm We
hicle use. Virginia used l9,459.
An estimate of the state motor |
retail sales taxes by the Automo-
bile Manufacturers Association |
showed that Sl,293,S69 was paid
on new cars in North Carolina,
S3S2,261 on new trucks, S495,-
20l on parts and accessories,
S2l3,402 on tires and tubes,
S232,350 on lubricsting oil, for a
total Of $2.6t6,673 for last year.
Only "a states figured in motor
retail sales taxes.
North Carolina motor vehicle
registration receipts totaled &c.
614,212 last year, compared to
$6,s85,743 in 1880. The high dur
ing the five-year period was 1884
when receipts totaled $7,070,000.
Virginia began the period in
1880 with S6,49S,989 and kept
declining through 1885 TO hit the
low Of $5,150.755.
From 1919 to 1885, North Car
oline gasoline tax receipts totaled
S14Ss526.S69, while Virginia
boasted q grand total of $780,
S72,130. In 1885 Tar Heel collec-
tions amounted to SiS,359,084.
Virginia listed collections at $751;
34o,505.