Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-01-05
Chamber of Commerce Com mittee Favors Levy Of $1
 for Highway Board.
EXTRA LEVY TO MERIT
 FEDERAL ROAD AID
Hesolution Urges That Smaii Fax Be Imposed on All Property in State to Meet Government Contribution
 Toward Road Building.

Resolutions urging that the entire automOhile tax now collected. amounting to $10 on each automobile. he turned over to the county where 1t is collected, for road maintenance; that an additional tax of $1 per car he levied by the state, to pay for the license tags for automobiles, and to maintain the state highway depart- ment: and that a separate levy, on the plan used to pay for the new capitol, be established, to raise the fund to meet the appropriation oi the federal government for building good roads. were adopted without dis senting vote yesterday afternoon by the special committee of the cham her of commerce, at a session held In the office of Secretary E. B. Bloom.
 There were present at the meeting Iudge w. T. Woodbridge, chairman of the special committee, and the fol- lowing members of the committee: A. w. Mills, Mayor Simon Bloom and II. V. Rahlau. President Il. l. Aol- derness and Secretary F.. B. Bloom of the chamber of commerce were also present, as eX-officlo members of the committee, and others in at tendance were Maj. w. J. Parkes, county highway engineer, and Repre- sentatives D. B. Niven and Cal New ton.
 A message was received from State Senator Creed Caldwell, saying that le had previously promised to at tend 8 caucus of state senators at Little Rock, hence could not attend the meeting. but he forwarded an expression of his views, which were along the lines of those expressed ty the committee in it's resolutions.
 The resolutions were as follows:
 Resolved, that it is the sense of this organization. that all of the auto- mobile tax of $10 per car that is now collected. revert back to the county where it is collected, and be converted into fund for the maintenance o1 improved, hard-surfaced roads now existing or hereafter to be built.
 Resolved, that $1 additional for each car be collected, to go to the state highway department. to pay for the license tag, to be issued by that department, and for the maintenance of that department.
 Resolved, that this organization faNors separate levy, on the plan followed in the building of the state capitol, to raise the fund needed to meet the federal appropriation for the building of highways"
 Expect Big Fight.
 That the forthcoming session of the Arkansas general assembly will wit nes determined fight for the re- apportionment of the funds received from the tax of $10 on ead'l automo- ble in the state, and that the very life of the state highway commission, as it is now constituted, is threatened. IS indicated more and more as the time approaches for the legislators to be- gin their duties.
 The informal organization of the mayors of the state, members Of which are executives of the cities art soWns of Arkansas, is expected to strongly urge that at least a part of the money received from the automo bile taxes be returned to the cities in which those automobiles arc owned, for use exclusively in main taining roads and streets already built, and which may be built in the future, none of this tax money to be used, however, in the building or pav- ln~ "f c'7-' "n"1 or street
 The state highway department is back of plan to have this automobile tax f'-'>d rsed to meet the appropria-