Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-02-01
WARNS OF ADVERSE
LAWS ON MOTORING
President of A. A. A. Fore
sees Enactment of Much
Unnecessary Legislation.

That prevention of undesirable
motoring legislation has become the
outstanding automobile problem of
1925,.fs the belief of Thomas p. Henry,
president of the American Automobile
Association.
In Mr. Henry's opinion there will be
more legislation during the present
year that will need to be killed rather
than enacted.
Conditions, he says. have reached a
point where it is easier to put through
an adverse motor law than a helpful
one, and with the motorist carrying
about as much taxation burden as he
is able to shoulder, failure to defeat
2 number of questionable bills now
pending or about to be introduced
VIII be a serious handicap to the
further progress of motoring and
motor transportation.
With As State legislatures conven-
ing this year, the A. A. A. Legislative
board is said to have good reason for
issuing a warning to motorists
through the organizations 700 af-
filiated motor clubs.
Adverse Laws Imminent.
According to recent A. A. a. bull
1etin the Nation will be swamped with
adverse motor laws unless the motor
list recognizes the problem and takes
proper steps to combat II.
Referring to the bills that have
come to the attention of the A. A. A.
Legislative board, President Henry
says:
Most of the legislation about to be
proposed relates to ways and means
of extracting more money from the
motor car owner who is already pay
ing more than he realizes. If he is
taxed, it is probable that he will not
be able to make such additional in
vestment in car equipment to in
sure him proper return on his invest
ment in motor transportation.
automobile taxation is already far
in excess of what is actually needed for
highway development. motor vehicle
department management and other
State and Federal expenses bearing
upon motor traffic. Only half the
money paid to the Government by
motorists as automobile excise taxes
goes back into roads, yet everybody.
including the people who are not tax
ed at all. benefits from the roads.
Accident Prevention n Problem.
prevention of accidents will doubt
less continue to be an outstanding
problem, but prevention of legislation
may easily exceed il. One reason for
this is that much of the legislation
about to burst upon the Nation is of a
nature that aggravates the safety
problem.
MANY of the compulsory insurance
bills carry features that are quite as
dangerous as reckless driving. jay
walking or industrial responsibility.
One of these bills would indemnify
anybody who happened to be injured by
an automobile regardless of who was
to blame or whether there were any
witnesses. OF course, the motor car
owner alone would be obliged to pay
the annual premium
The legislative boards bulletin hits
n number of plans for increasing oper-
ators license fees. a source of revenue
which it says has become one of the
handiest ways of gouging the car owner.
The high cost of operators licenses"
Mr.. Henry declares, sis the outstanding
admission of the average Legislators
desire to mulct the man with a car.
There is no expense attached to the
issuing of operators license other
than a slip of paper and cost of a few
minutes of clerks time. Operators
fees are simply a check upon the peo-
pie who operate cars, and the cost
should be nominal
Becoming a Regular Tax.
THAT it is growing to be a regular
tax rather than a nominal charge is
quirements of a number of States at
present, but by the agitation in GER
tain circles for further increases. A
tax on the operation privilege is limited
only by what the motoring public will
stand for, and because the motoring
public has stood for the nominal va
riety the idea seems to be that SIS can
be had from each driver as easily as
81 or 50.
''FinancialIy sDeaking MANY Amer
Jean car owners are motoring on thin
ice. The manufacturers have gone the
limit in Offering exceptional values in
new cars at exceptionally low prices.
But operating costs are mounting. If
motor vehicle taxes continue to in
crease, motoring may be badly crippled,
for thousands Of persons who now mo-
tor and who support business in gen.
eral as a consequence, will be obliged
to cut down. They cannot burn the
candle at both ends.
1T is far more difficult to kill an
adverse bill than to pass favorable
bill. Bills originated by special inter-
ests are invariably favored by being
carried along on the intimate legis-
lative machinery so necessary to enact
ment. Bills originated by car owners,
however, seldom receive even the sup
port of those such bills would benefit.
Politics is playing far too great a
part in the field of car owner taxation,
and it is politics that we are fighting
u a l. u "A a u