The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-03-25
GAS TAX BILL
D|STORTEDBY
'KELLAR
Tennessee Senator Adds OBJ
noxious Provisions to Meas
ure in Senate.

The enactment of a costly, un.
desirable. tax-increasing gasoline
tax bill by Congress now stares
District motorists in the face.
A distorted. Mcclellan written
measure yesterday was passed by
the Senate. containing substantial.
w all the features which have been
so bitterly contested in Washing
ton.
A $1.20 personal property tax,
as we'll as the two-cent tax on gas
oline and the annual 81 license fee,
IL provided in the Senate bill. In
only one way does it differ from
the obnoxious House bill in that
1t has no 16-cent horse power fee.
Although he has reported a bill
from the Senate District Committee
acceptable to the local automo-
bilists, Senator L. Heisler Ball
threw up his hands IN surrender
to Senator Mcclellan when the bill
was thrown into the rough-a and
tumble Of Senate debate yesterday.
Everything that the Tennessean
wanted was granted.
ASSents to Amendments.
Senator Ball smiled grinly as he
aSsented to the various amendments
which Mcclellan offered, The chair.
man OF the Senate District Com
! mfttee apparently was willing to
have the measure twisted out Of all
semblance to it's original form In
order to get it passed.
The Blanton crowd in the House
unquestionably will accept the Sen
ate bill and bring about a speedy
| conference report In which case
the measure automatically will be
forced to passage, and a complete
and unexpected defeat for Washing
ton interests will have been scored
The House and Senate bills differed
only on the issue of the horsepower
| tax, and this will not be hard to
| compromise, 1t is held.
There Is an excellent prospect
now that the reciprocity blu will
| become a law before March 81, 80
that a further extension Of the
reciprocity period with Maryland
| will not be necessary.
Senate Bill Provisions.
Ihc ooIIdlS OlII III us Ilndl 10TH
provides:
A two-cent tax on gasoline and
the S1.20 personal property tax.
Section was eliminated. This
provided that no tax should be i'm
posed on motor-vehicle fuels sold
or otherwise disposed of for ex
portation from and resale outside
the District.
The section providing that half
of the revenues from the tax
should go into the District Golfers
as a fund for street paving and
lighting was eliminated by Mo
kellar. 1t now provides that all
these revenues shall be appor-
toned on a 60-40 basis between the
Federal and District governments.
The following are levies for
trucks and buses: All motor We
hicles operated by steam, SIS a
year: electrically-driven passenger
carrying vehicles, $11; electrically,
operated trucks, $40.
In the existing situation Presi-
dent Coolidge alone stands in the
way of the final enactment Of the
bill. If District motorists make ar
appeal to him, there is a slight
possibility that he may veto the
measure. The last hope in either
Senate or House, apparently. has
gone glimmering.
No Refund Provided.
In the hasty work of rewriting
the bill on the floor Senator Nc
Kellar failed to notice section ia
which provides that the personal
property tax shall not be in effect
after June 80, 1924. All the other
provisions relating to the elimina
ton of the personal property tax
! we're stricken out with this single
exception, and Senator McKeila.
said today undoubtedly the bill
could be properly rewritten in con
ference with the House.
Another disappointment Is In
store for District motorists in that
the bill provides for no refund OF
the registration fee which they paid
- tha opaninc Of the DreSent wear