Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-29
RESIST WHEEL TAX
Automobile Owners to- Con-
test District Regulation.
RAISING DEFENSE FUND
Provision for Appealing All Cases
From Police Court-No Let-Up
in Prosecutions.

Prompt and gratifying responses are
being received. LIE Roy Mark says, to
the letters sent out from his Office in
the Colorado building. yesterday, in which
contributions were solicited to a fund for
the defense of automobile owners arrested
for refusal to pay the so-called wheel
tax. The funds being raised will be used
for the aid of all persons arrested for
nom payment of this tax and for the pur-
pose of carrying cases to the Court of
Appeals. After the cases leave the Police
Court and go to the higher tribunals an
array Of the best legal talent In Washing
ton will take charge. Mr.. Mark explained,
the purpose being to secure q decision in
regard to the duplicate, tripl1cate or
quadruplicate taxation feature Of the law,
in an effort to have the measure repealed
and a new law enacted in it's place.
Those in charge of raising the defense
fund desire that emphasis be laid on the
statement that contributors to this fund
will be defended without further cost or
Inconvenience to themselves. and it is de-
sired that all persons receiving state
ments of the wheel tax particularly
lected is for the year 1910, and that a
similar tax will be collected within
very short time for 1911, and then for
1912. unless the District authorities are
ing the collections.
Tax Not Properly Designated.
This wheel tax a local automobiles
said today, sis not a wheel tax at ALL
1t is "a tax on the seating capacity of
Automobiles seat tax, in fact If it is
permitted to stand, as it will be unless
the cases coming into the Police Court
are fought through to the higher courts,
nothing will stand in the way of tax
on cushions. or on tops of machines, and
it would be equally, possible to levy a
tax on the spokes of the wheels Wash
ington owners of machines have simply
got to take d stand in this matter, and
they have got to hold together if they
want to prevent the imposition of dis
crimnatOry taxes that will make the own
ership of an automobile luxury too ex
pensve for anybody except millionaires."
Visitors Made Liable.
"A point which has not been generally
noted" said Mr.. Mark today, lis that the
so-called wheel tax applies to each and
every automobile owned or operated in
the District of Columbia This means
that persons not living here who may
come into Washington for a single day
are liable for the tax, and may, on re-
fusal to pay it, be taken into Police Court
and fined.
THE reason for asking for contributions
to the fund.-" Mr. Mark continued, lis be-
cause the expense of conducting a sys-
tematic defense will be heavy We intend
to defend every automobile owner who
may be arrested for refusal to pay this
tax, and We intend to carry every case to
the Court Of Appeals if necessary. Each
case must be made a separate case, and
this will make the expense, in court
costs, ETC., no trif1ing sum, to say moth
ing of the attorneys fees.
In this matter the Automobile Associa-
ton OF America, with more than 10000
members, is in the fight with us. Presi-
dent Batcheller of the association is in
constant correspondence with me. and
feels that such law as the wheel tax
measure in the District must be beaten
or repealed, as if it became of general APP
plicatiOn it would lay an intolerable bur-
den on automobile owners throughout the
country. Every state in the Union might
enact copy of the law which has been
saddled on the District, and conditions
which would result may easily be
pictured"
Prosecutions to Continue.
The automobilA.s who have been taken
into Police Court have been prosecuted by
Assistant Corporation Counsel Gus A.
Schuldt, the cases coming up before Judge
Mullowney.
Mr. Schuldt declared yesterday that
which come before him in the Police
Court.
THE decision of the Court of Appeals
| in the LIE Roy Mark test case Of this
law makes my case stronger" he said,
| land 1 intend to prosecute them to the
| limit of the law. OF course, 1 expect
convictions in the Police Court, as the
law has been upheld by that decision
Warrants were served today on Eugene
| V. Chelini, 100 Fl street northwest and
James H. Vermilyea, ga H street north
west The cases were continued to
| April L. as were those of persons taken
| 70 polica Court Yesterday