The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-07
TAX AUTOMOBILES
ON UNITS BASIS
Method is Now Proposed Which
May Unravel Legislative
Tangle.
MANY BILLS DRAWN
~-w----------
Basis of Taxation Arrived at By
Multiplying Machines Weight
BY Horse Power.

The patrons of the various auto
mobile tax bills. some half a dozen of
which have been introduced in the
House of Delegates. have as yet been
unable to adjust their measures to
meet the requirements imposed by the
double factors of road injury, speed
and weight.
To meet the first condition several
bills have been drafted taxing the
machines by their horse power, but
since light car driven by powerful
engine does nothing like the damage
done by a heavier car equipped with
the same engine, the horse power"
bills have not been regarded with
favor by automobile owners.
Why They Are Opposed. "--
| They point out that the ferty-five
horsepower motor is frequently plac-
| ed in cars weighing not more than
| $500 pounds. while 1t is also placed
III cars weighing upwards of 5000
| pounds, and since the engine is capa-
/ BILE of running the heavier cars as
well as the lighter ones. at terrific
| speed, the heavy machines, by reason
| of their weight, do much more dam
age. and ii taxed no more than the
light automobiles. the owners of these
lkSht di6 ulSNJILulHdltu at5atUSk
Proposed Solution.
A solution of these difficulties has
now been proposed. however. which
many believe will put an end to the
! objections raisdd by automobile own
ers, and make possible the drafting
of bill which will meet all condi-
tons fairly.
This is to multiply the weight of the
automobile by it's rated horse power.
lsL, a
posed of SO many taxable units, which
may be taxed at so much per thou
sand units.
Different kinds Of cars would be
put into different classes, but the
same methods of taxation would ap-
ply to every class. the rate of assess
ment, however, being different
In Practice.
Instead of taxing two thirty horse
power cars equally. though one might
weigh one-third more than the other
! and being capable of doing much
: more damage, one weighing $500
pounds would be taxed on the basis
of As, 900 units, while the other, weigh
| ing 1900 pounds, would be taxed on
} the basis of 5000 units.
A forty horse power car, weighing
1 Is, 9e9, would thus be taxed on the
so, 900 unit basis, and very heavy. fas
/ EuHHtIB Weighing AAc't
5000 pounds to 5000 pounds. anc
driven by sixty horsepower to ninet,
: horsepower engines would be taxed
on basis running from 10000 to
100000 units. making those who car
afford to keep high priced autQmo'
biles pay correspondingly higher taxes
for the correspondingly greater dam
age done by their heavier cars.
Large Revenues.
The revenue which would be turn
ed in for road building and improve
I ment. those favoring this method de
I clare, would be very great.
!, According to the books of the Stat
Secretary there are licensed in Vir
ginia $3.50 automobiles, about ZOO
' of which are owned In the State.
: II these averaged $500 pound
= each, their engines averaging twent.
= horse power each. the average taxa
: BILE basis would be $4,000 units, which
- IL taxed at the rate of one dollar TO
+ every 5000 units, would amount t.
g $l2 for the average car. or $4,000
3 for the 1000 cars owned In the State
besides a good many hundred dollar
e for the foreign cars, or cars owned
:. by residents of other States. for whiel
!, no more moderate rate could be hXee
Hearing Monday.
+ When the House Committee or
, | Roads calls for the various automo
bile bills Monday afternoon, those ia
yoring the above method will be aske
to appear before the committee and
J IL possible, clear up the situation.