The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-02
TAX ALL VEHICLES,
HUGO RECOMMENDS
Thinks Present System Of Mo-
tor Cars Only rs Payers
Is Net Fair.
H..p. FORMULA OBSOLETE

aeryetarN of state FRANCIS VI. HUGO
x,r,arks that the present system of col
,,r,Ine money from owners vt motor
'sicics ami letting other users Of the
"a 90 without paying Is mot on
-. n, ideal ono" Considering the
question OF motor car anu >e"'''o '"N"'
lion, he says:
There Is therefore n kind OF rough
,.b,s,ice In the present arrangement.
"a NOW that the cost Of road main
,,ance especially on the main roads.
w.. riser so much II is a question
.h,ther all vehicles pay in fair pro-
,ortlon to the damage they cause and
whether the motorists who pay no To-
,,l personal property tax should not
N. compelled to pay somewhat larger
proportion toward the generai eNpehsc
Of road upkeep
us makes the prophecy that the Leg
is,,,ure will soon have to decide
ah.,hsr horse drawn vehicles shall con-
,Irue 10 ho exempt from taxation. III
,hs principle is to he adopted OF max
,,s vehicles which use the roads pay
moro heavily for that use" he de-
,,,re.. "it goes without saying that the
nresent scale Of motor car taxation will
nave to he changed and that all We
hicles motor and horse drawn alike.
viii have TO pay their share
ntsgnsSlnE lne ptSlS VI NthdNlDIl W
motor vehicles. in which. by he way.
n. omi,s all consideration OF money
value Secretary Hugo says horse
mower Ia most unsatisfactory and in
Tow years will become obsolete as a
,vs,sm Weight is not good gauge
ether. but he approves NJ taking into
consideration the width of tires on the
Wheels Indeed, the whole quest on Of
ne width Of tires on vehicles rs ono
which ought to he considered by the
legislature in resurveying the que stion
81 taxation for road purposes he says.
Tn theory. at any rate. combina-
ion OF factors should be taken into con-
alteration and IL is well to discuss how
Inherent methods would work As re-
-ards a gasolene tax the authorities
Rave already pointed out good and
sufficient reasons why such a PROPOSE
ION would he a difficult one to carry
M, in practice. To begin with. gaso-
enc Ia used in many other trades. such
a for dyeinc and cleaning, and for
other purposes. and IL would obviously
be unfair to tax such trades for a
purpose totally unconnected with their
industry Moreover. the only way by
which II would he possible to collect
such tax would be by forbdding the
sale OF gasolene In any form for mo-
III tires were taken as a basis OF mo-
tor car taxation difficulties would present
themselves \ broad tire does infinitely
ls~ harm TO the road than a narrow one,
while pneumatic tires are admitted 10 be
ls.s destructive TO road surfaces than
those OF soil rubber, which, In their
turn are better from road point OF
view than plain iron or steel rims. II
10 therefore desirable FINN the point OF
view OF the road TO encourage the use Of
VIC pneumatic tires and undesirable to
pm any percentage taxation upon the
price of tires, as this would encourage
ne use of smaller. cheaper and more
destructive tires.
"The question is turned back In the
direction OF tax. which is TO be coll
'ccled upon the basis primarily OF
weight and afterward on more variable
factors, such rs seating capacity as well
as horsepower the present basis. AL
eimbned II is impossible. however. 10
1sure that any tax shall he absolutely
fair In all lis Incidents. but by levyinc
t7e several taxes above suggested ne
ass Of traffic could escape payment ot
some share larger than at present
toward road upkeep.
However, any change in the present
swien will provoke strenuous Opposi
ION from all classes Of road users
Moreover. 10 IS clear that IL the system
~ taX,tlou for road upkeep Is ALTERED
new system of road management vii
also before long become inevitable h'
vel The question of aSttiOn FOR roit
purposes is moreover. iueNtrlcahly bounC
up with reform OF local taxation gen
orally. and the whole question of m
appropriations made by the Legislature
toward local expenditures. But to sun
~ the arguments, an effort has beer
made 90 show that q larger share Of the
expenses Of road upkeep should he pai'
nv the actual road uscr. whether :
owns mechanical or horse driven vc
tclCs