The Washington times., 1917-12-29
EVERY CAPITAL
MOTOR OWNER
MUST BUY TAG
BY JANUARY 81.
BY BILL PRICE.


with large black numbers, are await
ing exchange for American dollars at
the automobile license office OF the
District government.
The new automobile law passed by
Congress becomes effective January
and thousands OF District and Mary
land automobile owners must cast
away their old tags and buy new
ones.
No longer will one license tag last
during the life OF a car. Hereafter
automobile owners must slow down
at the District license office at the
beginning OF each year and purchase
new tags.
1t will not be necessary to take out
fresh operators licenses. These will
hold good until revoked
Ready for Rush.
Wade Coombs, the head OF the Dis
trict office, has just received $4,000
yeIlow-bIack tags and will be ready
for the rush that will start January
.. As It will be impossible to issue
the new tags in one day or one week
the District Commissioners have ex-
tended the time for procuring tags
until january 81, and will again ex-
tend it should the public, through no
fault of its own, be unable to get
numbers. He has 5000 motorcycle
tags.
The new registration law bases the
tax on the horsepower Of machines
and the A L. A. NJ. rating has been
adopted. For 24-horse power and
less the tax is So per year; 30-horse
power and less, So: over 30-horse pow
er, SO, and for demonstrating pur-
poses, So. Motorcycle tags Will cost
50.
District Cars First.
Three hundred people have tele-
phoned TO this office in the last few
days asking for special numbers
over half Of them wanting No. j."
said Mr.. Coombs, ''but we cannot do
this. Machines owned by the District
government will get the first num-
bers, and No. i will be among them
The next numbers will go to ma
chimes of the Federal Government
Demonstrating numbers will be is
sued next. followed by taxicab com
pantes ana the PUBIC.
In the last nscal year the total rev.
enues derived from automobile taxes
including operators permits, was
S5644T. 1t is estimated that fully
$4,000 will be derived in this fiscal
year. Purchasers OF automobiles In
December next will have to pay the
full tax for the remainder OF the
year, even II II is for few days only.
Retaliation on Maryland.
The new law retaliates on Mary
land for its persistently discourteous
treatment Of District automobile
owners. Every Maryland owner OF
a machine coming into Washington
during the next year must buy and
use a District license at the same
rates charged District citizens. The
fees here are not as high as in Mary
land, where the tax is so cents for
each horsepower. but the Maryland
law pro-rates the charge through the
year. For a Ford car the charge is
S11.25 for the year, but when a tag
il procured July 1 the fee is just half
Of Sl1.25.
Congress provided that automobile
owners from States that extern cour-
tesies to District owners will not be
ington. Maryland is the only State
that fails to extend these courtesies.
MaryIand's Attitude
The attitude Of Maryland authori.
ties is that they have spent millions
Of dollars in building good roads and
that Washington Automobiles use
these roads continuously. Despite
This position, an effort will be made
at the January session OF the Mary
land legislature to remove its inhibi-
lion Of free use Of Maryland roads
TO District pleasure seekers.
The District law is going to hit
Maryland machine owners a smackinG
blow, inasmuch as 40 per cent Of the
license tags issued by the District are
TO non-residents, the big majority of
them Maryland people. Some OF the
owners are working with their legis-
lators to repeal existing laws.
rTnNnRIAI