Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-01-14
WARREN SHIFTS,
GIVING MAJORITY
TO OPPONENTS
Alderman Allison Insists On Re-
tanning Tax As Levy On Lux
ury-Dealers Heard

| In less time than it took TO enact
the measure, after the public had
been given an opportunity 10 be
heard, the special tax Of half cent
a gallon ON gasoline was repealed at
la special meeting of the city council
yesterday afternoon. The re-
peal was made possible By the shift
ing of one vote, Alderman j I War
ren who voted for the tax at the pre-
vious meeting changing to the oppesi.
ton. When the tax was imposed tho
vote, was to 8, Mayor Sheppard
being called upon to cast the deciding
vote On the motion to repeal Az
dermen Burke, Warren, Taylor and
Mashburn voted aye; Alderman All
ii*on, who first proposed the tax and
inatting That it be retained, voted no.
Alderman Harris was not recorded as
voting
Several were heard in opposition
70 the retention Of the tax, while not
voice was raised for it except that
Of Alderman Allison. Walter KY
lander was the first speaker in oppo-
sition. He presented figures show
ing that because Of the policy of the
large refiners in absorbing these lo-
cal taxes elsewhere and allowing
! their retail price to stand unchanged,
the dealers buying from independent
supply men would be forced to cut
their margin Of profit by the amount
of the tax. Ee stated that everyone
knew the margin Of profit, which was
2 cents gallon, fixed by TIE oil re-
| finefs, and that no retailer was able
to more than break even on 9and-
fling Of gasoline, and that to fc
duce this margin by half a cent
would force many dealers to stop
selling gasoline entirely He pre-
sented telegram from Macon stat
ing that the Standard and other oil
concerns had absorbed the local tax
there. Outside of the effect ON the
dealers, he said he believed the tax
to be bad thing for Americus.
Bad for Town.
81 think | have about as much in
terests in Americus as any Of the
rest of you,' he said, "and realize
you need the money. but | honestly
believe it will be a bad thing for the
town and will tend to keep people
from coming here from elsewhere. * @
G. o. Loving, local independent
dealer, said he was at the mercy
of the large refiners; that he had d
contract with them by which he, OBJ
tanned gasoline based in price on tho
retail price which meant that # the
dealers stood the advance it merely
lraised his price to the refiners by
| that much. He said the dealers, on
the other hand could not cut their
lmargin of profit from 2 cents to / IL
Icent to absorb the tax, because Q
cents was the established margin and
| they would not be permitted to bay
more gasoline if they broke the rlfie,
nor be able to obtain more il he
sold to violator Of tie rule.
Mr.. Allison asked Mr.. Rylandag
| what it would cost to erect. ii filliRl
| station on The outskirts Of Amreicua
| Mr. Rylander said the cost would BID
| from $50 to $500. Mr.. Allison rc.
Iplied that it appeared there must BE
some profit in the business if a na1l
would make such an Investment, as
| had bee nrepotrcd would result
Clash On Luxury Idea.
i The motion TO repeal the tax was
made by Alderman Burke, who op-
Eposed it bitterly from the first, char
| acterizing it as blood money. Mr..
lAllison Immediately arose to an
fnounce that he opposed repeal. He
said he insisted that it was in the ma
Iture of a luxury. tax and should be
tried out. He said he believed il tie
big refiners refused to cooperate the
Ipeople would refuse to patronize
their filling stations. and would buy
from those supplied by Independents
Mr.. Burke came back with the state
ment that it was not luxury tax,
lnasmuch as 80 per cent Of the AIT
tomobiles seen any day about the
streets of Americus were business
ears and not being used for pleas
ure
Mr. Warren announced that while
ne voted for the tax at the previous
meeting, after investigation he beliey-
ed it would result in diserimination
and he was. not sure it was not the
wrong thing. The vote followed ina
mediately.
JURY DEADLOCKED IN
MIL IrT-I Il AEAAI2c ca GE