Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1916-01-15
NOW THINK THE j. S.
WILL NOT TAX AUTOS
Is said That States Impose Heavy
Tax and Sentiment Opposes
Federal Tax.

Why the proposed federal taxes on
automobiles and gasoline will not he
enacted into law may be explained by
citing some passenger car statistics
recently compiled by the American
Automobile Association.
Particularly in the Middle West
whore roads Improvement IL just get
ting under way has the selfpropelled
vehicle como into its own. Iowa has a
passenger automobile for every Is
people Furthermore this percentage
Is higher in the country than in the
| city districts, according TO the figures
of the Iowa Highway Commission. N
the state there are 40. 16S cars, which
pay In registration taxes $1.1S7.50o.
which money of course goes to the up.
keep OF roads. Iowa has made spe.
cialty of dirt roads dragging. but SEN
timert in accommodating for improved
roads which will withstand the rainy
periods.
Kansas is another state wherein
the blacksmith shops are being CON
verified into garages. Over $4,000
cars are owned In Kansas, and It Is
said that very rarely now can a liv-
cry stable be found In the small
towns Road conditions are similar
to those found in Iowa
For an eastern seahoard state New
Jersey undoubtedly provides for
more motor vehicle travel per mile
than any other commonwealth. Over
10000 cars of which 1900 are pas
senger vehicles and some 1000 mo-
tor trucks, pay In annual license fees
| VI ,155000. SO great has been the
traffic on New Jersey roads that the
commercial organization and the A.
A. A. clubs OF the state have united
in campaign looking forward to a
vastly ampliiied roads expenditure
way Down East in Maine, 21,574
| automobiles were licensed in 1916.
Since Maine in great degree ia vaca-
/ ton state there are thousands of Wis
| ting cars which lise its roads lead
| ing to shore and lake and mountain
resorts. Maine has In process the
working ont Of q state highway sys-
tenn OF some 1900 miles connecting
cities and towns in which are found
~ per cent Of the entire population
of the state and 73 per cent of the
total property valuation. Though
Maine Is state with many miles OF
coast line, there is some difference
Of opinion on military preparedness.
! While the Maine Automobile ASSOC
iation was holding its annual meet
ing In Portland at the same time that
the State Grange met. one organiza-
ton was discussing roads and mo-
tor cars as part of the defense
program while the other organiza-
ton was passing resolutions contend
ing that preparedness was unneces-
sary.
In California there are over 100000
automobiles owned in the state, be.
sides many others which are attracted
because of the wonderful roads con-
struction in progress. California be-
lieves in war preparedness, and its
trunk line highways row under con-
struction will make 1t possible to
mobilize thousands OF troops in
comparatively brief period, for the
main lines are being supplied with
feeders which ultimately will con-
meet every county In the state with
the big arteries which extend from
the Oregon line to the Mexican bor-
der.
: President John A. Wilson is at
work upon a plan which subsequent
ly will be submitted to the A. A. Al.
clubs looking forward to a country
wide plan for the mobilizing of the
two and quarter millions motor
driven vehicles to which will be add
ed another million in 1916, according
to the conservative estimates of the
leading manufacturers. At the pres
ent moment the average price of all
the automobiles in use is only s672,
thus indicating the popular employ
ment of the modern economical means
of transportation. In 1899 only g.
TOO cars were produced.