Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 137, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 June 1916 — Automobile Licenses Already Exceed Those of 1915. [ARTICLE]

Automobile Licenses Already Exceed Those of 1915.

Talk about the automobile business dying out —if anybody tells you anything like that don’t believe it. The secretary of state has issued more automobile licenses so far this year than he issued in all 1915, and Herman Conter, deputy secretary of state, who has charge of the automobile license bureau, expresses the belief that the year’s increase will be greater than that of last year, and almost as many as the total issued in 1913, the first year the present law went into effect. In the entire year of 1915 the total number of licenses issued was 96,915. Thus far in 1916 the number issued is 104,106. .The amount of license fees collected >jy the secretary of state in 1915 wa3 approximately $585,000. This year he has collected $650,000. Conter thinks the total number of licenses this year will reach 130,000 and the total amount of fees will amount r /0 $750,000. This anticipated total, 130,000 automobiles, would mean an average of one automobile for practically every 20 persons in the state. The growth of the number of automobile owners in Indiana has been amazing. The automobile license law was enacted and became effective in 191.3. In ’that year 44,732 License.; were issued. In 1914 the number increased to 66,500 and in 1915 it was .96,915, an increase of 30,415.