The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-07-21
All Sorts of Them Are IntrOduC-
ed in the Legislature.
MAKE AUTOIST LEAD HORSE

Is What One Statesman Would Do
When Animal Becomes Frightened
at a Machine. Out of the tumble
May Come a Statewide Gradu-
ated Tax ON Automobiles. A New
Office Is Proposed, of Course.
ATLANTAs-So far as is appar-
ent the automobiles of Georgia have
taken no steps to protect themselves
against proposed legislation of which
there is a possibility of enactment
at this session unless some in
fuence is brought to bear in their
interest.
There is a bill before the Iegisla-
ture, for instance, which requires ev-
cry person operating an automobile
on the public roads in Barlow coun-
ty to register with the clerk of the
superior court, pay fee of SO cents
and receive number and certif-
cate.
Suppose every one of the 146 coun-
ties in Georgia made such a require
ment as that. 1t would not only
make automobiling in Georgia an ex-
pensive luxury, but would surround
it with such interminable worry and
bother as to take all the pleasure
out of it. The Barlow county bill
has other features almost as bad, and
some of the local county laws with
reference to automobiles already
passed and of force are of a similar
nature. ~
Knowing that automobile legisla-
ton of some sort is bound to be
passed by the general assembly it
would seem that the automobilists
of the state would have prepared
skeleton bill for submission to the
legislature upon the basis of which
it might frame a general law which
would set aside all local county laws,
and make regulations uniform all
over the state. But this appears to
have been neglected.
Suggests Graduated Tax.
There is some talk of the appoint
ment of a special committee to con-
slider all automobile legislation and
report a general law embodying the
best features of the laws of other
states, but it is said this could not be
done at this session on account ola
lack of time.
1t is now proposed in the general
tax act just introduced in the house
of representatives to put a specific
NJ If oh 10
owner in Georgia The tax first sug-
gested was $40. But it was thought
this would be too low particularly
in case OF the high priced and high
power machines; and as it does not
seem possible to make the tax a
graduated one the $25 tax has been
suggested This is subject, however,
to the approval of the committee on
ways and means, after which it must
be enacted both by the house and
senate. 1t is said there will be made
a strenuous effort to cut it to $40,
which many of the representatives as
well as automobile owners seem to
think would be about right.
Mr.. Chandler of Franklin has in
trOduced bill providing for grad
uated specific tax which, of course,
would not be passed in the event the
foregoing specific tax is put in the
general tax act. Mr.. Chambers bill
provides for a tax of $40 on every
two-seated auto, $40 on every four
seated auto, and $25 on every one
that seats more than four persons.
He proposes that this money shall
go to the county in which it is col
lected for public road purposes. The
tax proposed in the general tax act
would go direct to the state.
Mr.. Hardman of Jackson has bill
also before the house committee on
roads and bridges providing for the
creation of a state road commission
with a chief commissioner at sal
airy of $4,000 and an assistant at
$1,000, and it is provided that these
salaries and other expenses shall
come out of the taxes collected upon
automobiles. This would apply to
the specific rather than the adva-
loren taxes.
Make Autoist Lead Horse.
There are several other bills before
the same committee proposing to reg
ulate the use of automobiles in Geor-
gia. One of these, by Mr.. Boyd of
Spalding, provides for registration
with the SECRETARY of state to whom