The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1915-03-13
OPPOSE PASSAGE
OF SMITH BILL
CHANGE IN TAXATION OF AUTOS
IS OBJECTED TO.
DETROIT WOULD LOSE MONEY
Considerable. Difference OF Opinion ID
Being Manifested Over the Meas-
ure. Which 10 In the Hands Of
House Committee.

~ = /. d. r. Il
Lansing. Marx and other
Detroit city oficials. including Cor
poration Counsel Lawson. President
Littlefield of the council and AL.
dermen Lodge. Jakel, link and Kotch.
er and Attorney Fred A. Baker, ap-
peared before the house committee on
roads and bridges with arguments as
to why the Smith bill for a radical
change In the method of taxing motor
vehicles should not be passed.
The bill would abandon the present
ad valorem plan, and many millions of
dollars. 1t is asserted, would have TO
DO stricken from the tax rolls in De-
troit.
The sponsor Of the present bill, Rep
resentative Newell Smith of Gratiot
county, introduced the bill which
passed two years ago, taxing horse
less vehicles according to their horse
power, such taxes to be In lieu Of
local and state taxes. The supreme
court nullifief the law because 1t was
imperfectly drawn.
The present bill differs from the
1913 act in that 1t contemplates tax
ing both the horse power and the
weight according to this schedule.
For gasoline and steam motor pas
senger cars, rs cents per horse power.
plus rs cents for each 100 pounds OF
the weight. For electric passenger
cars, 81 for each horse power, plus rs
cents for each 100 pounds. For gaso-
line and steam motor trucks, Is cents
for each horse power. plus Is cents for
each 100 pounds. For electric motor
trucks, so cents per horse power. plus
Is cents for each 100 pounds. Motor
cycles, rs cents per horse power and
rs cents per 100 pounds.
The bill contemplates that all reve-
nue. from taxing motor cars and mo-
torcycles in this manner shall be paid
into the state highway fund. to be
used for better roads.
The senate in executive session
confirmed Is out of the % APP
pointments of Governor Ferris now
before it. Except in the case Of
Food Commissioner James w. Helme
the objections to the names kept
back are trivial. The other six
held up are: John Waltz OF Ann Ar
Dor as a member of the board of con-
troll OF the Michigan Home and Train
ing school; held up at the request Of
Senator GROCER. John s. Smith OF
Elba, member OF the board of control
of the Michigan Home and Training
school; held up at the request of Sena-
tor GROCER. Frank e. Pulte, Grand
Rapids, as a member Of the board OF
control of the Kalamazoo State hos
pital; held up at the request of several
senators. Thomas Murphy. Newberry,
as a member of the board OF trustees
of the Newberry State hospital; held
up at the request OF Senator Wood.
Andrew ]. Short, Sault Ste. Marie, as
member of the board. OF trustees Of the
Newberry State hospital; held up at
the request OF Senator Wood. "Har-
vey" Hulburt, Detroit. as a member Of
the board of control of the Michigan
Farm Colony for Epileptics; held up
because name was wrong. It Is Harry.
not Harvey.
Representative Newell Smith.
chairman of the public health COM
mittee of the house. stated that he
is in favor of killing the Jerome
bill providing for the creation Of 30
health districts with an inspector
in each district at a salary of $500
per year while the measure Is still In
the committee. IF the bill is reported
out It will be reported with the recon-
mendation that 1t be not passed." said
Representative Smith. From the
sentiment OF the members with whom
I have talked ! am certain that II will
be overwhelmingly beaten on the floor
OF the house. II we permit 1t to leave
the committee"