Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-12-05
NOT AT ALL ENTHUsEO
OVER TRIPLE TAXATION
CIV lcrS of Automobiles Protest
Against Being ClasSed as
Special Road Users.
WANT WAR TAN EQuALIZED
A. \. \. club Members Declare
llorsc-Drawn Vehicles Should Help
Bear NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Laws to BE
Tested.

WASHINGTON December A.-Con-
tributin.: in so-culicd registration taxes
over S"n.O0o."0a yearly to TIA" upkccp
OF the nations roads. Disseminated
AGAINST in that horse drawn vehicles
ar" neither tagged nor taxed nor re-
Strictcd ia crossir. and rccroSsiuE state
/ lines. &utumohil" owners arc not re
coiNiuG with any vast enthusiasm the
pr"poSal that they snail pay again sui
Stantially IL the cost of war prepared :
ness.
What may arcoutrrntc their disSnn,
from one" more h.iug singled out rs
that IN many States owners now pay
three taxes: for registration of the ear.
operating license for its driving. aud
also under tn" head OF personal prop
"rty I'm mississippi and OHIO tho state
Supp emo Courts decided tGat IL was UNI
constitutional to tax an automobile for
registration in excess of the clerical
cost of the issuing of tho identification
number. rs he was already payin" un-
der til" h"nd of p"r%on"l property. N"w
J"rScN's counts decided that more than
one tax could II" imposed. and otn"r
stat" courts hav" ruled varously. Ec-
cause oc the conflicting opinions. the
American Automobile Association car
ri"d tn" New Jersey case to the United
States supreme Court. and Il ruling is
expected IN tho next few months.
Communications by posi- and wire
from clubs and individuals to tho ma
tional Headquarters Of the America n
Automobile Association in WASHINGTON
Indicate 4 practically unanimous in
clinati"u to protest cmphatically
against this latest effort to single out
tn" nlotoris; as - special road user and
dtsrc@ard the thousands of horse drawn
vehicles.
Incidentally. 1t is estimated That some
I.h"n. Geo acres are necessary tc raise
n h.. rs,l
the country The substitution OF ve-
hiclcS using gasoline and electricity
would r"lcaS" all this acreage aud di-
vert III" Labor engaged In it's tillinc 10
tn" needs Of humans.
Why the lawmakers should riCll on,
EhS"Iin" and petroleum products and
automobiles as tn" particular things on
which TO place Il special tax. whom no
trol"un products have become an ahSo-
Iutc necessity rs Il producing factor in
the industry of our country and Tho
automobile 'tS"lf has proven to he Tho
greatest factor In economic TRANSPORT
'aiion that ~" nave had in recent years
- Sourc" Of uuconc"alcd surprise TO
motor ear owners
roth tho AUTOMOBILE" and it's cost.
increasing fuel arc included i'm the rev
"nu"-pro!uCnC plans put forward h,.
leaders in Congress. and IL is corScrvo
tiNciN estimated that not less than from
F-''''''''' 10 Sr'.N'b.bht. and nprb a ros
more. would be obtained from Tho own
"rS at tn" 900. oNo motor vehicles now
IN use in tho United states.
Immediately war preparedness BEGAN
to Ia" discussed. American Automobilc
association clubs in all sections came
iofWa'" ana advocated the or:rauizo
ton Of automobile owners into motor
hrlsa''cs ana the pccfccting Of plans
Wnich would insure expeditions mo-
IMITATION in cas-" OF war The owncr
o' AZ automobile expects that If there
W"r" war his vehicle would he com
man, cred, and. in most instances ha
W"uld count upon hcigG IT its wheel
furthermore. with Federal aid in good
roads promised in the near future tha
iu'"h"bil"S I'm >"Icoast ana border
states set forth that money from the
hi.tlon"i government spent In their
sections should have reference TO roads
raraie!inG tn" cost or border line
1t IL pointed out by \. \. A. officials