Evening star., 1937-12-12
Bv G.. adams H0wayd.

~
THERE are some tag days that
do not come under the guild
ing hand of the Community
Il Chest. One important drive
Is now on, and ifyou want to drive at
all after the first of the year you'd
better hurry and secure your 1888
license plates.
II the securing of these requisites
to New Year operating is not
speeded up, there will be nearly 30,-
900 District motorists forced to find
other means of transportation. That
is. If the present ratio Of tag pur-
chase is maintained.
According to William A. Van
Duzer, director Of the Department
of Motor Vehicles and Traffic, mo-
toristS are slower this year than in
any previous one. This does not
mean speed on the streets, however,
for that rate rarely changes. In
other words, many are slow where
they should be fast, and, conversely
fast where they should be slow. Just
Old human nature again, which ap-
pears to enjoy contrariness.
MIR. Van Duzer issues a positive
warning that the time limit will not
be extended and any one operating
car on the streets with the old tags
after midnight, December 81, will
be subject to arrest and fine. At the
present time. he states, his office is
handling only 5000 applications a
day. while it is equipped to handle
5000. Last week the number neces-
cary to be handled was nearly 10000
behind. If the giving out of tags
Is not at once speeded up, he esti-
mates the final delinquents will to-
tai 100000
Don't get caught in the last-min-
ute rush. If you have parking tickets
or those of any other traffic nature
against your record, pay up. If you
do not have time to 60 or send any.
one to the Traffic Department al
John Marshall place and Pennsyl.
vania avenue, mail your application
In with check or money order. Re.
member to add 10 cents to the tota
for the office to mail your tags back
to you. If you have changed youl
address without notifying the de.
partment during the year, 60 to the
department at once and straighter
matters out so that you may Obtain
your application.
Get busy!
Speaking of tags, it may be of in.
terest at this time to know what the
various color combinations in the
various States for 1888 are to be-.
Presenting the color parade of 1895
license plates, the American Automo-
bile Association today reported thai
IS States have adopted entirely new
color schemes for next years tags
Eleven States and the District of Co.
!Imbia will keep the same combina-
hon they had last year but reverse the
oolors as to numerals and background
while two States-Connecticut anc
West Virginia-are entirely satisfied
with the status quo and will make nc
change at all
The black and yellow combination
which has high degree of visibility
has regained the popularity 1t un-
sccountably lost last year and now
leads the list with acceptance by 10
States. Black and white, last years
most widely-used combination, has
dropped out of favor and will be used
by only five States.
One Of the outstanding features of
the, 1898 color parade is the rapid
leap to popularity of aluminium as a
color. Making its first appearance
only few years ago, aluminium now
groces the permanent" license plates
OF Connecticut and will be used by
seven other States and three Cana
dian Provinces on next years plates,
One Of the most exotic combina-
lions comes from Florida, which has
chosen for its 1888 plates the hues
OF canary yellow and midnight blue
Out West-where men are men
Colorado. to be specific-the motor
vehicle supervisor admitted, some
what reluctantly, that the back
ground of next years plates would
be turquoise green, while cars in
Ontario, Canada. are to sport plates
colored orange and peacock blue.
The complete list follows:
Alabama, orange on purple; Ari-
zona, black on federal yellow; Ar
kansas, white on red: California,
black on lemon yellow; Colorado,
white on turquoise green; Connecti-
cut, back on aluminium; Delaware,
red on aluminium; District of Colum-