Page:California Highways and Public Works Journal Vols 8-9.djvu/28

 

California for the first time has passed the two million mark in the registration of motor vehicles. The total vehicles registered as of November 30, 1929, numbered 2,015,418, an increase of 184,813 or slightly more than 10 per cent over the same period in 1928. Beginning with March, 1909, when the first $18,000,000 bond issue was proposed in the state legislature for a state highway system, the registration totals for motor vehicles in California has increased as follows:

STATE PRESSING NEW YORK A comparison with New York registrations shows that California is pressing that state hard for leadership in the nation in motor vehicle registrations. The New York figures as of December 1, 1929, are as follows: New York accordingly has 578 more passenger cars than California.

California leads, however, in the per capita ownership of automobiles with 2.87 persons per automoblie as compared with 6.56 persons per automobile—New York.

All counters were opened Monday, December 16th, for issuance of 1930 license plates.

Mail applications were invited effective December 1st, but the response has been small, approximately 25,000 having been received up to December 16th. Certificates for those received by mail were practically all typed and were ready for mailing, but were held until after Christmas at the request of the United States Postal authorities.

License plates and necessary supplies sufficient for the 1930 renewal were on hand at all distribution points.

Certification for anticipated extra employees for renewal period at all branch offices was requested through and furnished by the Civil Service Commission, and as the extra help is needed, they were called from such list.

The Division of Motor Vehicles has registered 2.550,956 applicants, who have passed an examination as required by law to drive motor vehicles. This huge task was made possible by the splendid assistance and cooperation given this department by 500 outside agencies, comprised of chiefs of police, county sheriffs, constables, judges and operator examiners employed by the Division of Motor Vehicles, Without the cooperation of the various chiefs of police and law enforcing agencies throughout the state, and without their aid, a solution of the problem provided by law could have only been accomplished by training a force of 500 operator examiners throughout the state at an annual cost of .$1,050,000. At no time during the peak of the examination did the state exceed 59 paid operator examiners and at the present time is carrying on this work with 26 men.

The organization of the California Highway Patrol is progressing as fast as possible. The Purchasing Department has asked for and received bids on the necessary automobiles and motorcycles and as soon as the purchases are completed, motor equipment will be assigned to each officer of the patrol.

STOP, LOOK AND LISTEN The one sure remedy for Grade crossing and highway automobile accidents is safe driving. Accidents generally result from carelessness or incompetence. Instead of burdening the people with compulsory insurance, legislation and tax issues to eliminate all grade crossings, educate the public and enforce practical traffic codes. Reckless and drunken drivers should not be allowed on highways. They are a constant menace to life and property. Those who dash across grade crossings and give no heed to traffic regulations should, after warning be deprived of licenses. The railroads of the country, in their great work to reduce accidents, have succeeded in every phase of the problem but grade crossing collisions. It takes an average of seven seconds for a train to pass any given spot. Yet every year thousands of people, unwilling to wait the seven seconds, lose their lives. Accident reduction is mainly a matter of teaching drivers when to step on the brake instead of the accelerator.—Pillager Herald.

 “Miranda, whassat light shinin’ in yo’ eyes?”

“That’s my stop light, Rastus.”

Professor: “Take the sentence, ‘The Indian sneaked silently into the wigwams.‘ What tense?”

Mimi: “His sweetie’s, I suppose.’

Young lady motorist—“It’s snowing and sleeting and I’d like to buy some chains for my tires.“ “I’m sorry—we keep only groceries.’ “How annoying! I understood this was a chain store.”—Judge.

The efficiency expert is worse than the statistician but he belongs to the same breed. He will tell you that if a farmer’s boy can pick six quarts of cherries in an hour, and a girl five quarts, the two of them together will pick eleven quarts. But any farmer knows that the two of them together will not pick any.