Evening star., 1922-07-28
Plan
|. MEETS OPPOSITION
District Motorists Object to
Maryland Naming Wash
ington Tax.
FEDERAL LAWS WANTED

] cOGI1AI IHvvS bHN ~
Commissioners Asked to Disregard
Endorsement Of A. A. A.
Unfairness Charged.
That the terms laid down by Mary
land under which that state will enter
into motoring reciprocity with the Dis
trict of Columbia do not appeal to all
local motordom, despite the favorable
attitude of Engineer Commissioner Kel
ler and the Endorsement of the A. A. A..
was made evident in a general express
sion of opinion yesterday following the
announcement that the Maryland offer
would be reported favorably TO Con-
gress by the District Commissioners.
While reciprocity is generally de-
sired, many local car owners object to
Maryland naming what District motor
lists should pay to operate their cars.
others are opposed to gasoline tax,
and not a few believe that free high
ways communication in the United
States is a citizen right to be protected
by federal legislation. not to be bar
gained for and then withheld should the
terms not prove satisfactory.
Opposes Plan in Letter.
Regarding the latter phase Of the
situation, one Washington motorist,
writing to the District Commissioners.
said:
Maryland seeks to sell US a privi-
lege. or, inversely, to withhold the en-
forcement of penalty which she in
fiicts upon US If We, in turn. tax our
selves to enable her to tax both her
citizens and ours still more. If this
ha N ninp to1
between private citizens instead of
sovereign states, the private citizens
would be skirting on the border line of
blackmail"
Maryland's present offer is not re-
garded favorably by those motorists
who have figured what their annual
tax would be under the proposed
terms. One owner who operates a
so-called heavy type car requiring a
Maryland tag on thirty y-horsepower
basis and small car which is taxed
on nineteen horsepower basis, each
at 90 cents per horsepower, and Dis
trict tags a So and S5, has calculated
that on 10000 miles per year for each
car the gasoline tax would be greater
than the present horsepower fee. He
points out that he gets about twelve
miles per gallon of gas with his small
car and about nine with the heavy
| machine.
! Opposition has been expressed also
Dy the sellers.
"All Wrong in Principle"
The MARYLAND proposal is all
wrong in principle" declared Presi-
ington Automotive Trade Associa-
ton. Not only is it wrong in prin-
ciple. but gasoline tax is fraught
with many dangers and. once put
into effect. is susceptible to many
! manipulations that might result dis
a g
given much thought to the terms
which Maryland would impose and
has decided that the interests of our
customers would be better served by
f! our working for federal legislation
| creating national motoring reciproc-
ity. Automobile dealers everywhere
are striving constantly for lower
cost of user operation. which the
/ Maryland plan does not hold out, so
we stand opposed to its adoption.
owners opposed to adoption of the
gas tax are those who do not buy
Maryland tags. operating their ma
chimes entirely within the District
and running up to ten and fifteen
thousand miles annually. These lin
Maryland only so far as the Conduit
road extends and who take their
country excursions in Virginia. and
also business houses using fleets of
These. under the two-cent-aga gallon
tax plan, would be confronted with
an operating cost increased from So
to approximately $50 machine. 1t
is expected that this phase, of the
situation will have the immediate at
tention of the Merchants and Manu-
factuTers' Association.
Opposes A. A. A. Opinions
General opposition to the Maryland
I plan, as gathered by a Star reporter.
is well expressed in a letter written
to the District Commissioners by w.
P. Helm and which might be said to
serve as the composite opinion and
complaint of host of autoists.
THE District Commissioners" said
Mt. Helm. should not give serious
consideration to the so-called express
sion Of opinion obtained by the
A. A: A.; because any such expression
is simply statement of what a
few A A. A. members believe and
does not represent the true senti-
ment of Washington automobile own
ers.
the real opinion Of Washington automo-
bile owners they should obtain it them
selves Independent of any motor organ
ization which represents only a small
minority.
1.-The District Commissioners should
not seriously consider the Maryland pro-
Attacks Maryland Plan.
"(a) The levy of tax on gasoline
should be considered purely from the
point of raising revenue for the District
of Columbia and not as a sop to a state
which holds up Washington motorists at
it's state line and compels them to pay
toll over her roads. A tax on gasoline
in the District of Columbia is a matter
in which Maryland is in nowise inter-
ested. but is. on the other hand. ma tier
which interests only the residents of the
District of Columbia. Those residents
are fully able to take care of their own
internal tax matters without the inter-
vention of state hostile to reciprocity
"(b) Because what Maryland pro-
poses is not reciprocity at all. We are
asked to pay for privilege which Mary
land accords to every other state in the
union but denied to the District-a
privilege which is accorded to the Dis
trict by every state except Maryland.
"(c) Because Maryland does not come
in spirit of friendship and with clean
hands If she wants to reciprocate with
the District, the way to do is to recip-
rocate. Then and not until then should
we discuss an internal tax matter with
her."