The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-08-10
STRIKES SNAG
IN SUGGESTING
$40 AUTO TAX
Congress Expected To Pass
Responsibility on Tax Re-
vision to Administration
Car Owners Protest.
OWNERS RESENT LEVY
ny MARK SULLIVAN


WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. 10.-E
President Harding were a man of
less equable temperament, he might
readily have sighed as he bent his
hack into the mass Of things that
clamored for his attention On his re.
turn from his brief vacation.
Chief among the many things which
would all seem big if they were not
overshadowed by one, is taxation.
That subject now has the right OF
way and there is little doubt that
sooner or later congress will pass the
responsibility from it to the admins
tration, just as it has already turnei
over to Harding other things that
were difficult and politically danger
Gus.
In fact. congress has already made
Harding take on his shoulders re-
sponsibility for the defeat of the bonus
act. and that was wholly matter of
taxation. From the point of view Of
congress. the difficulty about taxation
is that what is sound is also unpopu-
lar
One OF the principal protests that
has arisen over Secretary Melons pro-
pcsals has been directed against the
proposal that automobiles should be
taxed $40 each.
Takes Courage.
That would be direct and not in
considerable tax on several million
persons. who by their standing in their
communities compose as substantial
a body of voters as there is.
u or SQrrC-
tary Mellon to propose that tax and
il will take more courage for the ad.
ministration to stick to it. But the
immense volume of public and private
automobile transportation that has
grown up in recent years ought to
bear the chief burden of the expense
that has been put, or will be put
into road construction.
One of the several difficulties that
beset the railroads is the fact that
the automobile truck. to a certain ex.
tent has been subsidized in competi-
ton against them.
Railroad Pays All.
When railroad makes freight rate
it must include an allowance for the
upkeep of the roadbed, all of which the
railroad pays. But when the compel
rate. it does not need to include an
allowance for the upkeep of the road
bed. The roadbed that the automobiles
use is maintained by general public
taxation.
II is quite true that the automobile
has been taxed with increasing heavi
ness in recent years by local state anC
city authorities. In some sections, il
fact. the automobile has been made tc
bar the full cost of local road con
struction
The theory that the automobile
should at least bear the burden of roaC
construction, both local and national |.
reasonable enough. although there i:
a radical difficulty in apportioning il
tax equitably among automobile anc
truck owners who use the roads il
greatly varying numbers and Will
different degrees of wear and tear.
Suggest ToII-Gate.
Within the administrator the sug
gestion has been made that if it were
practicable the automobile makes de
sirable restoration of some variation
of the old toll-gate system by whicl
automobiles and trucks could pay oil
a mileage basis for their use of til,
road.
One thing that the administration il
determined on is that there shall b.
no further federal aid for road con
structions, unless the local authorities
make adequate provision for maintain
ing the roads after their built.
The automobile levy is but one o
the many difficulties. inherent in tn,
big Job that the administration has o
putting through a sound tax measure
On this subject there are possibilitie
OF party splits in congress and popula
resentment at the polls beyond any
thing else that the administrator
must do.
Copyright 1921 by the New York
Evening Post. Inc.)