Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-02-21
MOTORISTS PROTEST
|. PROPOSED CITY TAX
Object to Pending Ordinance,
According to Association
Official.

OVttOb0ss
The Delaware Automobile Associa-
tion In up In arms over the ordinance
introduced At the meeting Of City
Council last Thursday night, which
provides for the imposition upon com
mcrcial motor vehicles OF tax OF
from 50 to s2b. depending upon ca
pacity.
According TO Charles q. Guyer, sec
retary OF the association, the very
thing that Is happening now is what
was feared when the measure was be-
fore the Legislature giving City
Council authority to impose licenses.
Mr.. Guyer said that during the month
OF March In 1920. bill was offered IN
the Legislature known as Senate Bill
No. 9. to increase the taxing powers
or the city OF Wilmington. the rate OF
the City Council.
The automobile association, Mr.
Guyer said. received information that
| II the bill became a law. automobiles
would be taxed and the Delaware
Automobile Association opposed the
passage OF the bill upon the ground
that automobiles In the state OF Della
ware were already taxed from 20 to
30 per cent higher than in other states
with possibly two exceptions, and that
a. the time Of the passage of the pres
ent State motor vehicle law. imposing
Incense on motor vehicles, agreement
was had with the representative of
the then Legislature that In considera-
ton OF the high rate charged and the
uses TO which the revenue derived
therefrom was TO be devoted, the con
struction and maintenance OF i'm
proved roads. no other or further tax
should be imposed upon motor We
h!cles, either by the State or any OF
It's cities or towns.
Continuing Mr.. Guyer said.
The then city solicitor ms well as
the then mayor. and n number of the
members of Council went TO Dover IN
support OF the passage. of this bill
md the public press, Mt about thai
date. contained statements' supposed
ly to come from certain members o
the City Council and the city solicitor
to the effect that there was no though
on the part OF the members of th'
City Council, II the bill became law
/, of taxing automobiles. and that auto
mobiles would not be taxed under thi
, bill.
The bill was passed and became
; law and no attempt has been made b
City Council. TO impose a tax on moto
|, vehicles, until the present. Now n
. ordinance II being passed to impos
, upon the commercial motor vehicl
q a tax OF from 50 to s25. depending up
1 on capacity.
= The present action proves that on
contention at the time OF the passag
o OF the bill was right, that motor We
hicles would be taxed by the CIT
: Council II the bill became n law, an
. the representations made by tho rer
a resentatives Of tho City Council wer
8 wrsng.
X Tho further taxing OF motor vehicle
, as a particular class, is not only ur
= Just but hardship upon the owner
Il thereof. as they now pay.
1. "A tax when the car is bought.
L "A tax when the car Is registere
10 "A tax when accessories are bough
" "a tax when the car is titled.
70 "A tax as a public carrier.
"A tax toutside OF the city OF WI
h mington) for school purposes.
et And already notice has been give
re- that an attempt viii be made TO ha'
n imposed by the State OF Delaware
d additional tax Of cents per gallon
gasoline.
lie In connection with this situatio
Df Mr. Guyer has received an interestir
I'd letter from State Senator Wallace
,e Handy. in which he writes in part
follows:
* l was very much surpris
al TO note the contemplated action of q
ly Wilmington City Council in the ma
u ter OF taxing commercial cars for &
re use OF the city. The policy of the De
De aware General Assembly since 10
10 has been to preserve the revenue
or rived from motor vehicles for the u
lie o, the State Highway Department;
other words such revenue was to
at entirely for roads. l remember We
~ well the bin under which ] assume {
u Council intends to base its action a.
AZ you are quite right when you s
y that we were assured that no SUI
ne action as is now contemplated wou
ie be taken. You may quote me TO Il
y effect If you wish. 1 think you "
&c find that Senator Robertson will agr
with us in this"