Evening star., 1924-01-04
RECIPROCITY BILL
AGAIN UNDER FIRE
Automotive Trade Associa-
tion Sees "Profiteering" in
Property Tax.

Another protest against the Mary
land District reciprocity bill as
amended to include the personal-p prop
erty tax has been recorded. The
latest opponent OF the measure is the
Washington Automotive Trade Asso-
citation, representing nearly 100 per
cent Of the National Capital trade in
automobiles and motor car access
sories =
The stand Of the trade body was
taken at n special meeting held late
last night following the annual BAN
quet Of the association.
The decision to oppose the amend
ed bill was unanimous.
Feeling ran high against -the at
tempt to switch the basis OF reciproc-
ity upon which practically all the
District had agreed" and which. 1t
advantage to District motorists. hut
actually meant increased cost to
many. without the personal-propsrty
tax.
."If Congress passes the reciprocity
bill as amended to include. the per-
sonal property tax. such action would
be nothing more nor less than pure
prof1teering on the yoteless citizens
of the District OF Columbia and the
present national Legislative body
60 down In history as profiteering
Congress" was the declaration of
Rudolph Jose in advocating organized
opposition to the measure.
Prefer Old Basis.
THE old distasteful basis and no
reciprocity at all rather than passage
OF the bill as amended" sums UP the
L
to Paul Lum. president of the WASH
ington Automotive Trade Association.
In formal statement issued after
the meeting, President Lum said:
AT special meeting of the men,
bers Of the Washington Automotive
Trade Association held last night it
was unanimously decided to protest
the passage of the Maryland District
reciprocity bill as amended to include
the personal property tax.
tween the District and Maryland
should have been established long
ago on the basis Of the free highways
communication to which all classes
of people of the United States are
rightfully entitled: and a provision
have been any federation OF the
states. ..a
I'VE believe that in reaching any
agreement in regard to the right of
D1strict motorists. to travel freely
over the roads OF Maryland, or vice
versa, a high American principle. is
being ignored.
Plan ms Favored.
But the two-cents "a gallon gas
oline tax in lieu of a Maryland tag
and the District personal property
tax seemed to hold no great advan.
tage, for either, side in pecuniary
way, while 1t removed an annoyance
and augured to engender better
feeling between the two communities
Therefore our organization favored
to have such a wide general appeal
in the District and since many car
owners who do not buy Maryland
tags were agreeable, even though
such plan would increase their
motor taxes - ~ - 4 -.
$50: a two gallon tax plus
the personal. property tax, In addi-
tion to all other taxes motorists pay,
would increase-,th the cost OF motor 'car
ownership to q high degree of un-
fairness. Also 1t would turn into the
orally serve no purpose except to
give Congress another opportunity to
shows the people of the District what
It. can do to them when II wishes.
I'VE shall oppose passage OF the
amended bill, with all the strength
our wide interests can command. But,
after all, we do not believe that 1t
will be necessary for US to make
any great fight. for we are confident
gress will recognize the injustice
that would be manifest in the pas
sage of the bill and provide US with
our reciprocity on the original basis"