The Washington herald., 1916-01-08
MOTOR GOSSIP
By Isl" GR0GAN


The committee on public transportation
of the Board of Trade will probably
send to the board in the near future a
recommendation approving the Com
missioners' proposal to substitute an
annual license and annual registration
tax for the personal property tax on
automobiles in Washington.
At a luncheon yesterday afternoon
at the Commercial Club. given by Charles
F. Wood, chairman of the committee,
to his associates, the Commissioners
suggestion was discussed pro and con
and the majority sentiment seemed to
be in favor of the change, provided
license and registration fees are made
nominal
At the same time, the committee also
considered the traffic laws OF the Dis-
trict and the consensus of opinion was
that some of the traffic rules should
be made more strict, while others should
be made less stringent. A number Oh
changes in the trafic laws will probably
be recommended by the committee.
One member of the committee stated
that District Assessor Richards had de-
clared that four of the six weeks taken
up in hearing appeals from the ap-
praisers' decisions were devoted to hear
ing complaints from automobile owners
who believe they have been overassessed.
In view of this fact, 1t was declared
that Mr.. Richards is In favor OF the
substitution of the license and resistfa-
ton tax for the personal property TAX
believing that 1t would be more &C
ceptable to automobile owners and save
the time which would otherwise De oe-
voted to hearing appeals
Attorney General Gregory yesterday
made reply to the resolution onered oy
Representative Steenerson. Of Minnesota
early in the week asking for information
as to whether the Department OF Justice
had taken any steps against the comoina-
tions supposed to be responsive LOT the
recent advance in the price of gasoline
THE resolution was forwarded to the De-
partment Of Justice by the House Com
nittee on the Judiciary. to which the
Attorney General made his response as
follows:
"No prosecutions have been initiated by
the government based on the increase IN
the price Of petroleum and It's proooc.s,
especially gasoline. for the reason tna.
no evidence has been developed as ye'
which would Justify charge that the IN
crease ia due to any action in violation
of Federal law.
1T is the duty of the United States
district attorneys and Investigators
throughout the country to scrutinize
closely all increases IN the prices Of sta
ME commodities and to report promptly
any evidence tending to show that such
increases were brought about by asree-
ment or combination. This duty has neen
particularly impressed upon them since
the beginning Of the European war,
which has made 1t easier to find pretex's
for {n,rao sing DriCe4,
mo especial Investigation OF the m
crease in the price of gasoline has been
Co the reason that the Federal Trade
Commission, with its broad inquisitoriai
powers especially designed for the pur-
nose, had already begun under resoiu-
lions of the senate a comprehensive in
vestieation into conditions in the oil
trade. Arrangements accordingiy were
made under which communications on
the subject to the Department OF Justice
of anv evidence developed tending 70
show any agreement or comoinatlon 10
increase prices. 1t is needless TO say
that any such evidence will receive the