The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-22
LET US TAX THE MOTOR JAR, THE 1
 LEGISLATOR SAID.
Many States Are Passing Laws Affecting License And
 Fees Of Motor Vehicles
Ky LYNN NJ. SHAW
 Assistnnf General Manager National Automobile Dealers Assn

Fees and Taxes Ol Lala? What playground the legislatures have found. An ever present need in time of taxation, saith the legislators. The automobile and the automobile in- dustry seem to have been joyfully elected to take the place of the Lush lamented liquor industry as a source Of revenue. In a conversation with the governor of southern state, my self and others were informed that the special session of the legislature then contemplated. would be asked to pass a statute which would put upon the automobile owners the bur den of paying back half of what had already been collected from the land- owners of that state, for the im- provement of highways. No amount or analysis or argument would change that governor. I knew that when first saw him. He was the picture of my grandfather. And that means no disrespect to either of them.
 Seven states this year passed meas ures effecting the license fees and taxes of motor vehicles. Seven states defeated the same kind of legislation. Thirteen others consideHd such leg islation, Florida, IllidniE Texas still fussing with 1t In June.
 It may be natural that a legislator would pick upon the thing which to him Is easiest to find. The automo- is seen on every road and street. It always looks like money, and 1t has been readily accepted by thousands of automobile dealers and banks in lieu of actual cash, so that there Is some excuse for the legislator who ha oyfn a dp cash with which to fatten & patron age stricken state treasury.
 Personal contact with legislators too, has disclosed that most of them own automobiles and there Is no Nttle tribute to the individual honesty ot the American legislator in the fact that there has not been any serious effort made to provide exemption from taxation for the motor cars owned by legislators.
 There has been some such action attempted in isolated cases. But gen. erally this extends toward motor vehicles bought for tho express use of some state official In his state duties.
 But somehow when on this sub ject of fees and taxation. legislators just lose their sense of balance. The National Automobile Dealers asso- ciation made up study short while ago, which showed that the average buyer of an automobile paid out enough money in licenses, fees and taxation of various kinds, to buy two automobiles. Paying for two, but get ting only ono.
 That governor that I mentioned was not alone in the attitude he took. In his state there might have been some excuse for 1t. I visited him just at the time when there was consider able scandal about the expenditure of the road money Examination had dis closed that one county highway off, ficial had a bill of $19,0e0 for gasoline in one year. There was no charge that he was engaged in the business of selling it. For one man with one automobile to burn that much gaso- line--well, you figure it out.
 Many vehicle commissioners shake their heads in doubt and cannot an- swer when they are sked
 Just what Is the Fundamental