Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1909-07-30
COUNCIL PASSES
$500 ORDINANCE
Measure Passed Over Vetoof
Mayor by Majority Vote.
The Auto Left at Once.

Mr.. w. 5. Crockett, who has been
operating an automobile here for
some time left on Monday for Blue
field. The license tax fixed by the
Council at $500. which Mr.. Crockett
did not choose to pay, was the cause
of his leaving.
1t is rumored that he will return
and pay the tax, but his Attorney,
L. c. Bowen, has no positive infor-
nation on the subject.
Following is the ordinance passed
10y the council over the mayors veto
BE il ordained by the Council of
the town of Tazewell, Virginia, that
n tax of Five Hundred (S5O0. )Dollars
for each year be imposed for the
privilege OF keeping in said town, an
automobile, locomobile, or any We
hicle of any kind, the motor power of
which shall be electricity, steam, gas,
gasoline, or any other motor power,
except animal, for hire; and that any
person, firm or corporation keeping
an automobile, locomobile or any
other vehicle of any kind, the motor
power of which shall be electricity,
steam, gas, gasoline, or any other
motor power, except animal, i'm said
town for hire shall first obtain as
license from said town for the priv
lege, and pay for said license the sum
of Five Hundred $500. 00) Dollars for
each year; and that ii shall be un-
lawful for any pefson, firm or corpo-
ration, to keep an automobile, loco
mobile, or any vehicle of any kind,
the motor power OF which shall be
electricity, steam, gas, gasoline, or
any other motor power except animal
is said town for hire without first
obtaining said license for the privi-
lege; and any peIson, firm, corpo-
ration violating this ordinance shall
be fined not less than Ten (SIO. OO)
Dollars nor more than Twenty Five
(S25.00) Dollars for each offence, and
each time the keeper of such auto
mobile, locomobile or any vehicle of
any kind, the motor power OF which
shall be electricity, steam, gas, gas
olineor any other motor power except
animal, carries n passenger or freight
for hire within the limits OF said
town shall constitute "A separate off,
ence.
The vote on the ordinance stood:
Aflirmatie: Messrs w. L.. Moore,
j. w. Chapman, Barns Gillespie
and A. st. Clair Negative, ..B. f.
Lewis.
The Mayor vetoed the ordinance
and gave his reasons as follows:
TO the Council of the Town of
Tazewell:
Permit me TO return you herewith,
without my approval, the ordinance
passed by you on the 18th day OF
July, 1909, whereby you fix a license
tax of $500 per year for the privilege
of operating an automobile for hire
within the limits of the town oi
TaZeWell. The measure meets my
disapproval for the reason that, while
automobiles are recognized by The
law of this Common wealth rs mod
ern, proper and legitimate vehicles
of transportation, and have, there
fore, under the law, equal rights anC
privileges upon the streets, roads anC
highways of the State with othe
wheeled vehicles, and granted thi
right, you cannot, in my opinion
levy such a license tax for its opera
tion as will be prOhibitive and on
that discriminates against the auto
mobile in favor of vehicles used TO
like purposes but deriving their pow
Ell of propulsion from other sources.
Respectfully,
f. V. SPOTS, Mayor.