South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-05-28
CONSIDER TAX ON
MOTOR CAR TO PUT
CURB ON THIEYING
Estimate S26.0O0.O00 Revenue
Y Guild be Derived the
First Year of Tax.
by LOUIS LUDLOW

WASHINGTON. D. o.. NAY a.
The number q thef-s 90 automobiles
n South Bend or FOR that matter.
anywhere Dr. The country would be
greatly reduced should The Mills biz
now being considered by the ways
and means committee ~ the house
become a law according 90 pr0pOn-
ents Of rhe measure Enactment ~
the bin. they declare. Mould GO far
toward breaking Ip the science q.
automobile stealing which IS prac
tlced IN many large cities
Desi gned as revenue raiser the
measure introduced ln the house ~
represen tatives by~DEden J.. Mills Of
New York Is admittedly an effort 10
curb automobile tEefts throughout
the country. II provides for "a ma
tional reg .stration If automobiles. =
number would De cut into the engine
and pressed into the body OF every
car. Each owner 81 am automobile
would be ta&ed s.
Hiram O.. Todd chairman Of the
legislative committee Of the New
York association Of prosecutors. was
the first witness before The WAYS and
means committee He declared ,ha-
both the treasury department and
the department of Justice are heart
lly IN favor Of the Mills biL
Great Revenue Raiser
Under the bill 500 600 600 revenue
would be derived the FIRST year. said
Todd eve estimate that each year
thereafter The revenue would amount
nn r.
the duty 81 cutting iuaeIble ident.-
fcation numbers into the bodies ami
engines Of the cars would rest upon
the automobile manufacturers
AR Todd does not believe that IL
would be- necessary 20 establish
new government bureau 20 enforce
the law re suggested that the au-
tomoble be- numbered and the tax
collected by either United States
marshals Of postmasters.
John H. Banton. president of the
New York state association ~ prose
cutors which include AN the dis
t-lct attorneys in che S ate and also
the United States attorneys appoint
cd for tho state. also spoke i'm favor
of the proposed legislation.
I'm ore year S7.0G0.o00 worth OF
automobiles are stolen in New York"
he testified 4 think I may state
conservat.vely that the loss due TO
stolen automobiles is S70,0o0.000
annually
The stealing of automobiles in
New York city is ffne science
We believe that the Mills law mr. one
similar 10 il which would number
each car and Get up a national regis
tration system would greatly dimin-
ish the number Of thefts and would
add 90 the number Of fecoveries.
There is no doubt it would reduce
Insurance premiums on automobiles
and as far as the creation of new
federal bureau Is concerned can
not see that the danger rs real
Auto Association Objects.
a dIscordaut note was sounded
when Dr. III NJ. Rowe. representing
the American Automobile associa-
tion at the hearing, called the bill a
"m,.nstrosity." lie declared tho
measure an openinE wedge for i'm
creased taxation. He asserted thar
the difficulty is not i'm experimenting
automobile thieves but i'm getting
them convicted.
Melvin r. Bender. counsel for the
New YORK state automobile associ9-
zion said his principal objection 10
the oil, was because 100000 mo-
florists would De rritated 10y these
--metiCGlous regulations.