Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1909-02-19
FRIDAY. FEBRUARY 70, 1909.
To Tax All Road Vehicles.

purport of several bills presented by au-
tomobilists to the Massachusetts legisla-
ture for consideration, says cores
pendent in the American Horse Breeder.
1t would be we'll if the authors of these
bills were more sincere and honest. The
title should be, "Bills to make use of the
power of the State to blackmail the
horsemen to build and keep roads in
repair for the benefit of automobilists.
Looking on the legislature as court,
this case should be entitled Automobil-
lists Va. The People. 1t is an attempt to
make use of the law to make money out
of the people for a purpose entirely I'M
necessary and for the benefit of a class.
1t is not only class-legislation of the
most offensive type, but it is double-tax-
alton of the worst kind, for every vehic-
lie is already taxed and every horse-own-
er taxed for the maintenance and build
ing of the highways of his locality, most
of which are kept in a suitable condition
for local purposes. The majority of
horse users but seldom drive outside the
limits of the town in which they live.
In these bills two methods are propos-
ed. One bill reads in part; The State
highway commission shall divide the
vehicles of the State, other than those
propelled by hand. into such classes as
it may deem best and shall determine
the amount of damage caused by each
of said class and the amount so deter
mined shall be assessed in equal amounts
upon all the vehicles in said class"
In this bill the words Estate High
ways" are used; but what is meant by
estate highways? This bill has been
shown to number of automoblists who
are of the opinion it means what are
commonly known as State roads, but
these roads have been so monopolized by
automobiles and made SO dangerous by
their presence that the majority of horse
users avoid them if possible. They are
unsafe for women, children or aged per-
sons to drive over even with the quietest
of horses, and no man of intelligence
would essay the experiment with spir-
tied team, no matter how perfect his
Workmanship. According to this bill
the full proceeds of the tax are to go to
the State for the benefit of State high
ways.
The other bill says that: 1.-The Com
monwealth shall retain sixty per cent of
the fees and the cities or towns where
the owners of the vehicles shall reside
shall receive forty per cent. All the fees
shall be expended for the maintenance
or construction of highways" That is
for maintenance of State roads for the
benefit of automohilists, who chiefly use
them, and forty per cent by the towns,
already taxing the same people for the
maintenance of local highways. If that
is not double taxation for the same OBJ
lect, what is?
According to this bill, No. 536, "the
fees to be exacted are, for one.horse
vehicle, two dollars two-horse, three
dollars; three horse, four dollars; four
horse. five dollars; while for those en-
gagged in expressing, teaming and other
business using not more than three We
hices the fee is to be five dollars. In
one place it looks as if the horses were to
be taxed, and in the other the vehicles
In many trucking concerns that use
teams of eight horses and have more
than eight vehicles-how about them?
This is a case where the more you have
the less you are, proportionately, to be
taxed. Whom the gods would des-
troy they first make mad" that is, in
sane. 1t looks as though the authors
and supporters of these bills were fit
candidates for ia mad-house. What do
they want? Massachusetts once had a
revolution that ended in failure. 1t
may have another that will not end in
failure, so far as tanning the madness of
automobiles is concerned. Already the
air is being stirred by the talk of bullets
should ballots fail long-suffering peo-
pie. Lincoln's words, slightly changed.
may prove prophetic in this case: you
may impose on some of the people all
the time, and on all the people some of
VIC tiine, puI you Can impose on all
the people all the time" The people, in
this case, are all those not interested in
the use of automobiles and whose well
fare is imposed upon, and lives and prop
erty endangered by their users. The
people have been slow to anger and
plenteous in mercy. toward AUTOMOBILE
lists, but impose this tax, and the spirit
that inspired our fathers to imperil their
lives for life, liberty and happiness
may be found but a sleeping lion, awak-
ened to volcanic violence. 1.-THE wheels
of the gods grind slowly, but slowly, but
surely" Justice eventually wins the VIC
tory.
ITO be Concluded