Evening star., 1938-04-03

enue, prevents many Of our motorists
from having year-round use Of their
cars and affects business adversely.
Thirty-six Of the forty-eight States
now have deferred registration, either
through changing the regular registra-
tion date or through legalizing periods
OF grace. The adjoining States of
MARYLAND and Virginia have deferred
their registration date to April /, and
West Virginia has now changed its
date to July /.
Deferred registration has proved 80
popular and successful in the States
where it has been tried that 80 States
have modified their laws in this re-
spect In the last five years. Connecti-
cuts motor vehicle commissioner.
Michael A. Connor, recently testified
that all the advantages claimed by
advocates Of deferred registration prior
to its passage in that State have been
fulfilled.
Massachusetts, commissioner Of tax
alton and corporations, Henry F. Long,
advocating deferred registration for
his State, has predicted that a change
in the date Of registration from Janu-
ary l to April / would increase the
amount Of revenue collected from the
gasoline tax by $1,500,0OO.
The average motorists would like to
reap the advantage of the year-round
use of his automobile, but the present
January l registration date requires
District Of Columbia motorists to nav
their registration and license fees lust
at time when Christmas expenses
and f1rst-of-the-year bills are heaviest.
The United States Bureau of Com
merce reports that the typical United
States motorist earns only $25 to $50
week. 1t Is not surprising, therefore,
that many motorists in the District of
Columbia find the expenses involved In
reregistering their vehicle on January
l financial hardship. This explains
why approximately $4,000 District
motorists. who would have liked to
use their cars during January, Febru-
ary and March last year. were forced
to keep them OF the roads. By chang
ing our registration date to April it
would enable these motorists to benefit
from full II months use of their
cars.
The District receives neither easo-
line tax revenue nor license fees from
automobiles laid up in garages. In
States where registration fees have
been deferred the gasoline tax receipts
have risen 10 to Is per cent. In jan
uary and February of each year Dis
trict gasoline tax collections fall off
about s50,000 because OF cars which
are not registered. In 1897 this loss in
gasosline tax revenues amounted to
$5l. $40. This money could be put TO
good use in fixing up the streets Of the
District.
In 1886 the Legislature of Ohio
passed deferred registration bill. and
subsequent survey among merchants
OF the State produced the following
report:
The merchants are highly elated
over the change in the registration
oate. because 1t has removed the State
from competition with the merchants
at the Christmas period when citizens
are buying their Christmas supplies
Inc State heretofore has been taking
from IL to Is million dollars away
from the motorists at a time when the
merchants were striving nightly to
SHOW good Christmas business"
Approximately a million and a half
dollars was paid for 1898 tags in the
District up to December 81, as is
shown by the following table:
Fees collected
on 1888 tags
up to Decem-
Der 81, 1897.
Registration fees weight
taxi 1924 e28
Personal property tax on
motor vehicles 5o3x1l
$1.4l8,342
A substantial amount-s414 701-
was paid for 1898 tags in January. Or,
in other words. there was a drain of
s2,ooo,ooo on the purchasing power
Of the District.
II this money had been available for
Christmas purchases and expenditures
1t would have been the same as
fhA ",