The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-12
KITCHIN MOTOR CAR
TAXES CUT IN HALF
Senate Finance Committee
MOdifies Sums Assessed on
Stock Brokers.
SHOW SCHEDULE STANDS
House Exemption of Farmers
From Occupational Levy of
$40 Is Knocked Out.
SHOW SCHEDULE STANDS
Special Despatch TO THE suY.


tween views Of Representative Ki,chln
as expressed in the pending war revenue
bill and the Senate Finance Committee
was more clearly emphasized to-day
when the Finance Committee nut Mr.
Xitchin's scheduled automobile excise
taxes on the block and with n single
stroke OF the axe halved them all
There is a virtual unanimity Of opin.
ion in the Finance Committee that the
vast use of automobile transportation
treated as a luxurious indulgence any
more than in the wearing OF hats or
gloves Is a sybaritic indulgence. Hence
the liberal use of the pruning power.
The new excise tax on motor vehicles
proposed by the Finance Committee and
adopted to-day, is as follows:
Finance
House Com.
Bill mittee
Automobiles. other than cleo. W."
trio and less than % h. p...loco so
Automobiles, e TO 30 h. p.....2O0O ION
Automobiles, 80 to 20 h. p.....3O.co iS.@
Automobiles, 20 h. p. upward. 5000 $500
The tax on electric automobiles fixed
by the House Committee at s. per horse.
power plus SO cents per hundred pounds
OF weight also was carved by the
Finance Committee. The rate adopted
to-day will be 81 per horsepower plus
rs cents per hundredweight.
These are the excise taxes collectihle
annually from owners of automobiles
and upon new cars at the time of pur.
chase.
Distributing Burden Equally.
The Finance Committees announced
disposition In dealing with the vast prob
lem of framing revenue legislation Is
not proceeding on the theory Of Pyramid
ing taxation to a point at which the
whole national Industrial machine will
stagger, but OF getting in taxes Of as
nearly as possible the just volume Of
revenue commensurate with the promo
ton of active successful business. 1t Is
determined that the slaughter of no bust
ness or industry shall be effected for the
purpose of gratifying provincial or Sec
tional preJudices.
Another change along the line OF dis
tributing the revenue burden more
equally was effected BY the Finance
Committee to-day when II struck out
the House exemption of the farmer from
the occupational tax OF $40 per annum
when his gross receipts for the preced-
ing year exceed $2.500. In the House
bill following the paragraph fixing this
tax 1t was set forth: This subdivision
shall not apply to agriculture" The
Finance Committee eliminated the not"
The Finance Committee ratified all <
the House special taxes on manufactures
of tobacco without amendment II
changed the imposition of the tax on
motorboats by exempting in addition 10
motorboats used for trade and in the ma
tional defence fishing vessels. and 1t also
materially increased the revenue produce
tivity Of the section by applying the TAX
on the basis OF the gross tonnage =
such motor vessels instead OF the net
tonnage. as In the House bill. The taxes
on brokers were adopted exactly Is in
the House bill with the execution q
stock brokers. In this the Finance COM
mlttee made a change.
Under the House biz h, ~ on ,reD'-
bership In securities, produce and mer.
Chandise exchanges Vas iI."i al ! uO.
with a surtax OF $50 where the value 4
the membership or exchange seat eX-
ceeded $4,000, 500 IL between s.. O00 and
5000 and $3.50 where II exceeded 81
900. The Finance Committee ciI,ed
the fiat membership tax 20 $50. arI A.
ter striking out the additional trX n
memberships Of less than 1000 va.us
adopted the rest of the House schedule.
The House provisions with regard -
the taxes on proprietors of theatres, ,nu.
seums and concert halls passed with an
amendment eXempting edifccs owned
and used for purposes of public enter
talnment by charitable organizations
and for the returned soldiers and sailors
of our services.
The taxes on circuses and all other
shows for which admission fees ,.'s
charged. on shooting galleries, hovare
alleys and riding academies were al
adopted just as the House had drafted
them and with all of the exemptions IN
disturbed.
Another House tax which the Finance
Committee promptly rectfied was the al
most proh!bitive levy upon the business
of conducting sightseeing automobiles
The House levy was 10 per cent. ~ the
gross receipts OF such business The
Senate fixed the tax at $40 per aunum On
each sightseeing motor ear in use
The Finance Committee also adopted
a tax OF $40 per annum for each auto
mobile seating more than two or less
than seven passengers owned by az ,u-
dividual, firm or corporation engaged )"
letting such vehicles for hire 10y the hour
or trip. This Is known as the taxi alb
tax.
The committee left for future consid-
GRAFTON a tax to be imposed on naSseU-
ger automobiles of seating capacity
greater than seven passengers Yet not
automobiles.