The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-07-04
TAG AY3ONlAUTOS
l0F ARMY OFFICERS
PROVESUNEVENTFUL
Z Tax Collector Wilder Makes No
Move But Declares He win !
- ! - Do So: Soon
.s>n = q. - =. t 49,
TERRITORIAL MOTOR CAR I.
N TAXES ARE STILL UNPAID
Military Folk Said To Have Ap-
pealed To Governor For
d TT Protection q.

1t was to have been tag day yestet
day for automobile owners who are de.
hnquent in paying their special mot or
taxes, and all machines without the
1916 tax receipts were TO be put in
pound 1t
Among the officers Of the United
states army who have been fighting in
and out of court, against paying such
taxes, there was feeling Of uneasi ness
and an air Of apprehension. Persistent
to the last and unheeding the ultima
tum sent out by Tax Collector wild er,
they stood pat yesterday and waited
for the tag day to begin. ~
The day passed sweetly by, as any
other day in the year, the machines
were not taken, and last night officers
an the army were breathing easier, feel
ing that they had gained point, or
perhaps scored a victory over the tax
collector.
Contest Still Pending
While the contest on the right of the
Territory to tax automobiles owned by
army men is pending on appeal to the
federal court, the officers have been
busy in creating public sentiment in
are said to have called on Governor
Pinkham in the last fortnight, to urge
him to intervene in their behalf with
the tax collector.
They pointed out, it is said, that it
would be unfair to make the army men
pay the taxes now when the case is on
appeal. This point they made outside
Of their fundamental one, which is that
h., - ~
justly exact automobile taxes from
them, as they are ordered here by the
United States, and may be ordered
away at any time. In which respect,
they say, their situation is altogether
distinct from that of the civilian.
Intervention Possible
Everyone who is acquainted with the
governor attitude toward the army is
quite certain that he sympathizes with
their point of view, but whether his
sympathy will carry him so far as to
intervene in their behalf il a question
which may NOT be answered for the
next few days. SO far he has said
practically nothing for publication on
the subject.
A short time ago Mr.. Wilder notified
all the army officers that their auto tax
must be paid before the end of June
and he went on to warn them that If
it was not paid by that time, the ma
chimes would be seized. Yesterday he
did not say he had abandoned this
plan, on the contrary he said his office
would get busy after the first of the
week to begin the collection of the
motor vehicles.
Tn6ar thp law he ia entitlad m tokn
possession of an automobile the taxes
on which have not been paid, hold it
for ten days, and if the taxes are not
paid within that time, with penalty
fee of one dollar, he may sell the ma
chine at public auction. The tax is
based on the weight of a machine, one
cent pound.
Officers Standing Pat
SO far as could be learned yesterday,
the officers have stood together, all
Withholding their taxes. Though the
test case was brought in the name
Of only one or two of them, most of
them contributed to the expense of the
suit, and all seem determined to stand
or fall together.
The supreme court tf the Territory
held when the suit ached it, that the
collector was within his rights in tax
ing the machines owned by the officers.
The latter promptly took an appeal to
the federal court where the question
still hangs fire, As there are something
like 400 machines here owned by army
men, the tax returns on them would
be a considerable sum, the average
small machine paying tax. of $2S.