Weekly journal-miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1908-1929, 1912-01-31
ROAD TAX FOR AUTOMOBILES


There is some agitation on in favor
of taxing All owners Of automobiles
fifty or hundred dollars year for
the benefit Of the road funds Of the
state. 10 the man who drives
horse this is n very attractive propo.
sitioD, but 10 the owner Of the gas wag.
on, the matter looks different
II would seem that the motor car
man has troubles of his own. TO he
sure, they have got the thing 80 that
it will go without breaking down
every few miles on the road, but
there IL no lodging the fact that the
whole automobile business il ekpen.
sive. The novice always asks. GLOW
far on n gallon Of gasoline'' and the
veteran smiles. Gasoline is the very
smallest part Of the expense Of, run.
ming machine.
There are hundreds Of men in Ari
IONA 10 whom an extra hundred dol
lars or two road tax would make no
difference, but there are thousands Of
men 10 whom the added burden Of n
big road tax would mean the doing
away with the ear. The fact is that
there are a lot Of men who run ears
now who really can't afford IL. but
who strain n point and keep the ear
anyway for the pleasure Of the thing.
when the big road tax is added to
this now too heavy expense, there
will be last straw Of financial bur.
den and the ear will have TO 90.
Manufacturers Of ears are steadily
improving the quality and lowering
prices and thereby are every year
reaching new layer Of buyers who
have not heretofore been able 70 run
machines. IL il this constantly wild.
cning market which makes the bus.
ness of making automobiles so at.
tractive 10 capital aud 40 profitable
TO the vast army Of men who are
making and selling machines. II the
makers wish TO cause their market 10
contract instead Of expand, there is
no better way to do IL than to adj.
vocate the big tax on machines
The European plan of motor car
tax is based upon the horsepower of
ears, and as a consequence, machines
which rate here at thirty horsepower,
In Europe appear as fifteen. A prop.
osition TO tax all ears Of larger than
thirty horsepower, would have some
basis Of equity in the theory that
only the rich man can afford n big
ear and that he il able to pay for
il, aud also for the upkeep Of the
road.
II we are going to tax vehicles Of
any kind, the horse aud wagon and
the foot passenger should all share
in the making up OF the fund for the
Improvement of the road. Arthur y. |
Callan, author Of the present New |
York road law predicts that within
ten years the road tar ON ears will
be So high that IL will cost twice as
much to run ear IA II does now. |
Well, IL il does, there will be 40 few |
people running ears that the whole
will 90 up. in smoke, 30
far as the average man il. concerned |
and the rich people will have the
roads to themselves, all Of which is
pretty sure not TO become the case.
There is no question concerning |
the vast large place that road build.
ing and maintenance Is going to play
all over the country within ten years.
There has bene an unprecedented |
awakening Of the public's interest In
roads since the universal adoption of
the automobile ~ a means Of getting
about the country. Nothing like II |
can ever occur again. The final re-
suit will be a nationwide system Of
magnificent highways that will make
interstate travel via automobile q |
matter Of convenience and the social |
and economic results will be moro
far reaching than most Of W can ct
present forsee.