The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-03-04
BRAY BILL NOT IN HIGH FAVOR
Auto Owners Seem to be Adverse to
Any Change in Law Which Will In
crease the Tax ON the Owners of
MoGor Driven Vehicles.


question is attracting more attention
in this legislature than it has from any
previous legislature for several sessions
past, and it might also be said that it
{. is being given more thought by this
legislature than by any Legislature since
automobiles first came into general
view. There are several bills before
the Legislature on the automobile ques-
tion. The one which is probably being
given the most study is the Bray bill,
which provides that the charge for the
state licenses for automobiles shall be
on q tonnage basis, the weight of a
machine. There are other bills on the
subject, Senator Bichler having a bill
which makes the charge for the license
fee proporticnate to the power of
machine, while Senator Barwig has
bill which provides that the administra-
tion of the automobile law shall be
taken from the state and placed with
the county clerks, it being the idea Of
the senator from Dodge county that
there is too much Capitalization in the
government anyway and that the pres
ent state Capitalization should be done
away with and a great many powers
which now rest with the state be
placed with the county, or with the
municipality.
Senator Bray, who has given good
deal of study to the automobile ques-
tion, is by no means in favor of the
II loo MI IA mi ...l.
tion of the automobile law with coun-
ties. According to Mr.. Bray, who has
collaboration Of the laws Of all the
states with reference to the regulation
Of automobiles, the state Of Wisconsin
is not paying too much now for the
administration Of the law for the licens
ing and control of automobiles. It is
the statement of Senator Bray that
Wisconsin pays only eight per cent Of
the funds collected under the automo-
bile law Cor the administration of the
law According to Senator BRAY. the
cost for the administration of the law
IN the state Of Michigan is thirty-six
per cent of the funds realized from the
licenses, while In Iowa, although the
cost is only eight per cent, the sum re-
allied from automobile licenses is near.
ly double chat received in Wisconsin.
and that therefore the cost of the adj
ADMINISTRATION Of the law is nearly twice
rs much.
The Bray bill is not favored bv a
good many automobilists who object to
its terms because it increases the Ii
cense fees. Already there are petitions
IN from motorcycle owners making
strong protest against the Bray BILL
under whose terms the licenses for
motorcycles are increased from $500 to
$500 dollars per year. The Bray bill
provides that practically all automo-
blles, except passenger electrics, shall
pay license fee of $500 wear for
every thousand pounds of weight of
car or fraction thereof. This would
mean that only the very smallest cars
would get off with a license fee Of SIS.
which is the present uniform rate
charged by the state for the licensing
of machines. The owner of a machine
weighing between one thousand and
two thousand pounds under which class
would come the Ford and other light
weight machines, would pay $40. while
the owner of a medium weight car
with a tonnage of something over two
thousand pounds would pay $15. The
maximum fee under the law would be
$25, the heaviest cars weighing about
five thousand pounds.
All the money from the license fees.
under the terms of the Bray bill. is to
go to the road funds of the state and
counties under the same division as the
present. The idea in making the charge
IN accordance with the weight of ma
chime, according to Senator Bray, is
due to the fact that it is the heavy
cars which really do the damage to the
roads, 1t being Mr.. Bray s claim that
the damage to the roads is proportion
ate to- the weight of the car and the
speed at which it is driven. He furth-
err says the heavyweight cars are gen
orally the high power cars which are
driven with the most speed.
Mr.. Bray's figures in regard to the
other states show that Wisconsin has
been extremely lenient in the charges
It has previously made for automobile
licenses. In most other states, however
the fees charged for the licensing of
automobiles are proportional to the
power of the machine. Wisconsin IS
one of the exceptions to the rule. and
here the fiat rate Ecensa faa bas II
ways prevailed, no matter what the
power or tonnage of machine may be.
Senator Bray says most of the opposi-
ton to the bin arises from the owners
of light machines who at the present
time do not desire to pay the adj
ditional fee
Senator Bray says he believes his
bill, if passed by the legislature, will
be complete regulation FOR the ma