Evening journal., 1915-12-23
Shows INJUSTICE IN
MOTOR CAR TAX
Paige Executive Says Pro-
posed Legislation Is Blow
at Industry

Reports from Washington, ID. c., indi-
safe that the administration is taking a
second thought on the proposed tax on
automobiles and gasoline; and that this
particular revenue measure may be
abandoned. The proposition met with
immediate and uumistakable opposition,
and the capital has been deluged with
protests from she folks "bacS home.'
Harry NJ. Jewett, president of the
Paige Detroit Motor Car Company,
recently summed up the situation in a
newspaper interview. Mr.. Jewett said'
"The American public will not stand
for any such mfairness as the proposed
taxes on automobiles and gasoline. The
administration win see that the people
viii rise up against this imposition in
no unmistakable way.
"As long as they thought down there
that they were going TO make Michigan
pay the taxes. the other fellows laughed
up their sleeves 1hey didn't care how
much Michigan objected SO long as they
got away with it. But their proposition
IS not confined 10 Michigan. 1t will
reach to every nook and corner Of the
land, lust as the automobile reaches,
and congressman from other States will
hear from their people fast enough as
soon as the people realize what TINS
means.
arhis proposed tax has been talked
4 over in the automobile industry for
hnA :
coming. Naturally the automobile men
4 look upon it as a direct slap at the IN
4 dustry itself. But they were figuring
down in Washington that Michigan
with So per cent. OF the automobile pro
duction. would be the State that would
4 have to foot the bills and that 1t was
merely a case of soaking Michigan.
"They didn't stop to think that IN
every corner of the United States people
are using and making money out OF au-
tomobiles. There are garages and work
shons everywhere that come in on some
4 angle of the industry, or in the manu-
facture of accessories even down to the
making of goggles, cloth and leather
upholstering and other things. None OF
f.. these people want the automobile busi
ness singled out for the imposition oi
unfair taxes that will iniure it.
"People who own cars now are pay
inc personal taxes. license taxes, horse
mower taxes. good roads taxes an'
others. Now an addition tax IS PROPOSED
TO be levied on them with gasolin
tax on top Of it. The users of cars vii
feel 50-cent horsepower tax and
raise of one cent in gasoline prices, an
& they will feel it everywhere, especiali,
the users of small cars who can i'll atfor'
such additional taxes or cannot aifor'
them at all
'president Wilson may still have IN
notion that the automobile is a luXtr,
and that there is a prejudice against J
such as there was whrT it first appear
ed and frightened other peoples horses
But If he has that notion, he's mis-
taken. The automobile is no more
luxury now than the telephone or tn
telegraph, and the prejudice has entirel
disappeared.
~rhe tax would be an imposition o
everybody and is not an equitable ia
anyway. when placed on horsepower. 70
It hits the user of the small-priced ca
harder than anyone else.
"AIichigan would have to pay goo
and hard under such tax, but other
all over the country would be impose
n upon. too. I believe that the congress
men down in Washington will begin {
hear from their districts soon, in a wa
I that will make them sit up and TAX
notice. The public simply won't stan
for it and when it begins to rise NJ
/ Washington will be deluged with il
A protests"