Pocahontas star herald., 1923-01-05
10 Raise Auto Tax

tion TO increase the automobile and
truck license IN the 1928 General
Assembly. Two bills tor presenta-
tion TO The Legislature are now be.
ing drawn. one by the Honorary
Highway Commission and the other
by the State Highway Department,
The former would increase revenues
from automobiles about 800 per
cent while the State Highway Com.
mission would make an increase of
! about so per cent. The State High
way Department asserts that the
automobile should contribute ST..
500, O0O annually for the msinten-
ance of the present system of bard
surfaced highways, baslng its calcu-
lation at 5000 per mile. 1t seeks
to raise an additional S6O0,0U0 for
the maintenance of the department,
of force of state constables to en-
force traffic regulations and to see
that automobile licenses are paid,
and to provide asfund for the CON.
pletion of gaps in present primary
road Systems. The Honorary High
way Commission oontemplates the
expenditure OF the same amount for
road maintenance, but under its H.
cense plan 81, 900, 600 would be rails
ed annually instead of the S2.I00,
900 the State Highway Department
would yield. The Honorary High
way Commission bill would paw the
second 81, 100000 raised back TO
! the landowners in districts which
have completed highways This
would be applied toward the pay
ment of maturing bonds and would
be continued annually until so per
cent of the cost of the improvement
is paid back to the property owners
The balance OF the 81, Geo, 900 after
specified amount had been deduct.
ed for the maintenance of the state
Highway Department would be ex-
penued IN road building. matching
the property owner on SO 20 basis
Both agencies would materially ID-
crease the license on trucks as we'll
as limit the load Under the Stale
Highway Department bill the Ii
cense on a Ford car would be Sl5
annually aud under the Stale High
way bill it would be about S25. The
minimum on trucks under the High
way Department bill would be $25,
while the Commission would make
the minimum about $35. The high
way Department would require a
license fee of 800 per ton on
trucks of over three ton capacity,
while the highest license lee for
trucks under tue Commission bill
would be about $3.50 Both sgen-
cies would increase gasoline tax TO
sc a gallon. Orgarizstlons of auto
mobile dealers aud owners have been
meeting during the past few weeks
to determine what action shall be
taken concerning the two measures,
and almost without exception an ln-
crease IN automobile license Is op-
posed. IL Is pointed out by these
associations that Arkansas Is today
requiring a higher license fee than
most OF The states aud due TO the
road building craze Of few years
ago, has more miles of HIGHWAY 10
maiLtaIu on less number Of cars
than any STATE. They declare that
q further tax on the automobile
would not only be uuju,t hnt con
tiscatory. An agree that the auto
mobile should munJain the high.
ways but insist that the property
owners are well repaid through the
construction of highways through
the enhar ced value Of their proper
ty, so the payment by the property
for the construction OF blgh ways is
no injustice. The property pays
for the road IN twenty years while
the automobile must MAINTAIN it for
ever, IL Is further argued that with
state laws prohibiting the expendl-
ture of over 30 per cent of the as.
sessed valuation of real property in
a road district and the assessment
onlv 90 per cent of the property
value, the land owner pays only Is
per cent for road that increases
his property to much greater ex
tent. The automobile ors sniEst;ons
will not oppose bill which will
provide funds for maintenance, but
they insist that If proper disposition
Is made OF the automobile license as
IT. is At present, there will be ample
funds TO MAINTAIN every primary
road in the state, They will al, 0
urge the placing of tax on wagons
and require every operator Of an au-
tnmobile TO pLss Al examinatl y,
UHder both Of the proposed meas.