New-York tribune., 1922-12-10
Several Bills
In Congress to
Help Autoists
Breaking Of All Records by
Laying 10000 Miles of
Roads i'm Fiscal Year
Gives Program Impetus
EnM,fsSate Tax Is Sought
Measure Also Calls for Fed.
eral License for Convent
ence of gTin-Can' Tourist

F~or, TAs T,itsas's WasAisCica Baff1a
WASHINGTON. Dec. 9.--Nith al
rreyious records FOR road building
imsshed BY the laying Of almost 10000
miles Of new Highways during ne
fseaI year 1922. there are a NUMBER
~ movements affecting the millions
- automobile owners in the United
Btstes having small beginnings N
Congress. The impetus given the Wors,
bv The enactment Of the Federal ara
Nm il baekfiring on the Capitol IN the
form Of schemes which range All tne
way from regulating interstate use
Of automobiles TO Federal lntetseh-
tion in the settlement ot aeelaen'
tr7als.
Though probably a majority Of the ne
plans involving The motorists Nhleh
have recently been born IN Congress
In re~sr come out Of the darkness
a. rommittee fles, the activity shows
~ least that the building % new miles
~ ronerete and macadam Highways IN
the home districts Of most Of the mein-
tevs Il causing them TO give thoufht
- the pr6blems OF the self-propeiled
vehicle And these many small starts
,how signs Of soon combining N tne
direction Of really helpful legislation
OGrielE Of TIE Department Of Agri-
eni.gre charged with the road con-
sirvction program are more then
.i.to5 over the record Of the past
SsrsI wear. From their viewpoint the
,.sr dlvides itself into two perloos,
80 before and the other after the
ne.sage OF the Federal highway act.
fhe frst periof Was a season OF greas
construction activity. during whicn
most Of the federGlly financed WORK
vas done. Il was also one OF almost
eomplete stagnation with respect to
the Initiation Of state projects.
Just before the passage OF tne
FEDERAL highway act the mileage sub
uitted By the states had not grown
during the fiscal year but bad actually
Himinlthed, as q result OF the WIN
droWal and substitution OF projects
The total mileage proposed was only
$500, ss compared With the S9'4Vz OF
four months before. Immediately upon
a. annroval Of the act the initiation
of projects took on new life, and m
lf.-eh and June reached the unpre-
cederted total Of 1850 miles month.
A. the close Of the year the submitted
Soileage Is sg.940 miles. 4,53S miles
vrcatsr than at the close Of the pre-
seding fiscal year. The Federal ara
earned by the states on completed ana
rpcompleted projects amounts 70
sfet5G0I35. Of which Sl66,sll l,552 has
actually been paid.
one Of the measures now penang
before Congress which is Of the ia3st
vital interest 90 automobile owners Is
q bill. At present siumbering In the
House WAYS and Means Committee,
nroyiding a spccisl tax on automobiles
which engage In interstate travel
penresentative Appleby, Of New Jersey,
n the author Of the bill. Il also would
provide a Federal license FOR the con
vcuience Of the so-callec "tin-can
tourist" who chugs along over the
highways from Maine TO Florida and
from coast 10 coast. This Federal
license tag would be issued annually
and attached 70 the state tax. u would
teke the place Of all special registra-
tons required By various states. The
uriee would be 40 cents per horse
1ower, with a minimum Of So on any
ychicle. Ninety per cent Of this would
come into the Federal Treasury.
In this connection there Is still ex-
fout in Congress q small sentiment IN
favor Of the general Federal auto
mobile tag which was urged By Sec
retary Mellon as 2 means Of paying
for the soldiers bonus bill This pro-
posal is also pigeonholed with the Ways
ard Means Committee. Il contains
number of alternatives, each carrying
q different rate Of taxation per horse
power, but subjeeting all vehicles IN
svery state 20 its provisions. The
temper Of the present Congress, how
ever. Is such that the plan is regarded
as not having the slightest chance OF
sonsideratiOn.
There are three almost identical bills
vending in the Senate and House In
tsrstate Commerce committees 20 reg
slato the interstate use Of automobiles
BY providing reciprocal courtesies be-
SWeen the states. This would do away
With conditions such as those now ex-
hitting between the District Of Colum-
ria and Maryland. Though the City
o. Washington In some places extends
across the boundary line, residents arc
required 20 obtain the license tags Of
both the District and of Maryland
Senator Pittman Is the sponsor Of the
rnsasure in the Senate and Represen-
Assives Fuller, Of Illinois, and Sweet
Al iowa, in the House.
Another Senate bill would amend
thc national motor vehicle theft act
by providing a dne Of $1,000 and i'm
pri5onment FOR FIVE years for any one
transporting O stolen machine ocross
state line. Senator Brsndegee, Of
Coarscticut. introduced this bill.