The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1916-06-09
The Auto Tax Again.
To The EDITOR FAYETTE FALCON.
Somerville, Tennessee.

10 IHE EDITOR FAYETTE FALCON.
Somerville, Tennessee.
Dear Sir:
| have read with much interest your
editorial in last weeks paper on the
distribution of funds derived from re-
gistration of automobiles, and especi-
ally your comments in regard to Fay
cite County.
In order that the wrong impression
may not be created from your editorial
l am going to ask you to publish the
facts in regard TO fees paid by automo-
bile owners of Fayette County.
The amount of funds to the credit of
Fayette County that you report as
$466 II was taken from the last report
OF the Secretary Of Stste on distribu-
tion of automobile funds, and which in
cluded only the fees received up to
about April lst, while your figures from
the County Court Clerk of 1851. 25 was,
take it, up to the date that your
paper was issued.
Your Article would leave the impress
sion that the expense of issuing the
Fayette County automobile certificates
was $484.54, while the fact is that the
total cost, as shown by the records of
the Office of Secretary of State, of ex-
pense charged to Fayette County is
$2O.19.
Assuming that the County Court
Clerks figures are correct, and | think
they are, Fayette County has to her
road fund from automobile registrations
the sum of s9S1.06. True, the high
way bill permits the Highway Commits
sion to expend ten per cent of this
money for salary of the Secretary of
the Commission and salary and expense
of the State Engineer, who gives prac-
tical aid and supervision of road build
ing in the county, Consequently this
ten per cent, amounting to $93. 10, if it
is all used, is also used in the interest
of Fayette County roads, as the State
Engineer will doubtless visit Fayette
County and give his time and the value
Of his experience as a practical road
builder toward having permanent good
roads built in Fayette County.
You are also wrong In your state
ment that Fayette County is required
to put up twice the amount of the
fund received from the automobile tax
before the money is available for Fay
cite County's use. The fact is there is
no such provision in the highway bill,
and ! am informed by the Highway
Commission that no such requirement
has been made by the Commission.
1t is the policy of the Highway Com
mission, as far as practicable to do so,
to get the county to add to the highway
fund. but there is no legal requirement
that they do so, and, should Fayette
County absolutely refuse to add one
cent to this fund, the S93t.06 above
mentioned would still be spent on Fay
cite County roads.
The $40. 10 expense account referred
to covers the cost of number plates
which are furnished automobile owners
free of cost and the cost of postage in
mailing these plates to them. There
are no salaries, commissions, expense
or anything else deducted by the Secre-
tary of State other than this.
Inssmuch as your editorial has doubt
less created an erroneous impression in
the minds of the readers of the Fayette
Falcon, | am going to ask that you
make correction of these facts in your
next issue.
Very respectfully yours,
R. R. SNEED, Secretary of State,