Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-07-18
OBJECTIONS
OF AUTO men
HEARD AGAIN
Council Gives Owners of Ma
chimes Further Opportunity
to Discuss Wheel Tax.
DIFFERENT VIEWS STATED
Opinions Given as to What Is Reason
able Rate-Adermen to See How
It Works in Chicago.

The city council met last evening
! N committee of the whole and again
discussed at some length the proposed
wheel ti2 ordinance. At the invita-
ION of the council there were d num-
Der of the owners of automobiles
present who expressed the sentiment
| of the owners of the machines on the
subject under consideration. Owners
| of horses had also been asked to be
present and express their views on
the matter but they had left that to
| The aldermen. apparently.
e. w. Lewis was the first to be
heard. He called the proposed tax an
imposition on the owners of automo
oiles and said that it could not be
justified by saying that the autos do
| more damage to the streets than the
| horses and wagons which make use
Of them. He then told of the good
me automobile industry has done for
the city in the way of causing the
building OF several garages and the
accompanying outlay of money The
AK as proposed. he said, is entirely
100 high and he asked that if it must
| De levied il be nominal one
| Would Fight 1t.
| H. H. Cleaveland was the next rep
resentative of the automobile men
heard from. He said that the tax as
outlined was far from being equitable
and that he had heard comment I'M
favorable to it all over the city. He
also disprOved of the statement that
the automobile was as destructive to
streets as the horse. and later he
stated that he would resist the pay
ment of the tax if it is passed on the
ground that it is not a legal tax. He
POINTED out that the same ordinance
| is being fought by the automobile
IOwnerS in Chicago on these grounds
and that their chances of winning the
fight are the very best City Attor-
ney Witter' corrected him here, how
ever, and stated that the supreme
court of the state has already held
the law regarding the wheel tax valid.
Mn Cleaveland then suggested that
the ordinance be laid over until such
a time as the fight in Chicago is en-
tirely settled, as in this way there
would be- 70 fear that it would be
tax Illegally imposed.
When he was asked by Alderman
J.. Tuckis as TO what he would consider
a fair tax. Mr.. Cleaveland said that
he thought it should be the same as
! for a horse and wagon.
Robert Smythe went into a lengthy
argument to show that the number Of
~ IN, lo n;t,
what it should be for a city of this
size and that the council should en-
, courage the buying and owning of
machines rather than to discourage
them by imposing a tax on them.
! He maintained that the automobile
industry is one that should be fur
thcred. He said the time is coming
when there will be no horses in the
city at all. He too denied again that
TIE automobile harms pavements
more than the horses and said that
he could never be convinced of that.
Says 1t Is Good.
A. ID. Huesing took up the objec
? ton to the tax and said that it is a
double tax. as there is already one on
the automobiles CHASING them as per
sOnal property. He would prefer to
see regular assessments levied to
: keep up the streets
DR.. r. NJ. Sala expressed the opin
ion that in the end small tax on
) automobiles and vehicles in general
u would be a benefit to the owners OF
! automobiles as the good roads would
y make the wear and tear on the ma
{ chimes far less than it is at present
He suggested that the city hire a man
with the proceeds of the tax TO &c
/ over the city on wheel and look III
e the places that are in need of repair
II and TO see that they are repaired a
II once.
d George w. Reddig was the mex
g. champion of the automobile men ant
le he said that he could add little t.
y what has already been said but tina
s he was determined to fight the ord
Of nance to a finish on the grounds tina
lie it was an illegal and double taxation
He then remarked that the automobile
owners who had held the meeting [,
q discuss the ordinance had instructe,
nj its committee TO stand solid agains
A the tax and that the sentiment tina
- the other gentlemen had espresso
n in saying that they would agree to
~ small tax was without the sanction G
" the owners in general.
Is Bluff, Says Mayor.
Following his remarks the alderme
and the owners of automobiles too
ad up general discussion of the subjet
We with less formality. Mr.. Smythe tot
er, the council that he knew of four di
ca ferent men who intended to take the
We machines over to Davenport and kee
OIL them there if the proposed ordinanc
no was passed. Alderman Ostrom r
es piled that he thought that any ma
it who would do that would not be IL
lin kind of man whom the city wou
er- want anyway and that he didn't thir
that when the car fare and other iten