Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-18
REPEAL IS URGED
Of TAX ON AUTOS
A. M. A. Head Asks Motorists
to Seek Legislation in
Congress.
By BECK

Active support of the millions Of
motorists throughout the United
States in urging on their Senators
and Representatives complete repeal
of the 3 per cent excise tax was urged
this week by President j. Borton
Weeks, head of the American Motor
lists Association. calling attention TO
the fact that the new 1928 revenue
measure introduced last week pro-
Vides for continuance of A tax Of
IL per cent on all automobiles sold
in the future.
THE tax on automobiles is not
matter of dollars, but of principle"
President Weeks declares. 1T will
yield to the Government but $33 000,-
600 a year, and il permitted to go into
the new revenue bill in the nature of
a sales tax, is an entering wedge to
make the tax permanent. such as is
levied on tobacco and narcotics. EX-
Cept in times Of dire emergencies the
country has never favored A sales
tax on necessities such s is proposed
in the new bill to be continued on
automobiles.
Billion Is Paid In.
The complete picture of the excise
taxes collected from the automobile
users of the country since October 4,
1917, when the tax first went into eff
feet, shows that total Of 81 ,06S. BOB
365.19 has been paid to the Federal
Government This was the tax on
% 400 900 passenger cars and ? 1856 ,329
trucks sold during the 10-year period.
The tax on trucks for the 0 years to-
tailed $73. 264 1858, on passenger cars
$742 6S1 ,373.44 and on accessories used
by the motorist $252 .357 1882, &C
cording to figures compiled by the as
sOCiation.
During the course of the hearings
before the House ways and means
committee Is national orga niZations
voiced their disa pprOval of the com
mittee's proposal to retain a Re per
cent tax on passenger cars in the
new bill. These associations, in addi-
ton to the American Motorists AS
sociati included the following: Ma
tional Automobile Chamber of Com
merce, Motor and Accessory Manu-
faCturers, Rubber Association of
America, American Farm Bureau
Federation, Chamber of Commerce of
the United States, National Grange,
American Automobile Association,
National Automobile Dealers Associa-
ton, National Standard Parts As
ISOLATION, Automotive Equipment As
Association, National Association of
Taxicab Owners and the National Re
tail Dry Goods Association and eight
organiza tons affiliated with that body.
Green Files Measure.
The measure was introduced in the
House by Chairman Green of the
House ways and means committee and
provided for the IL per cent tax.
When the automotive excise tax sec
ton was reached this week, Congress
man James c. Mclaughlin of MiChi-
gan introduced a resolution providing
for the total elimination of the tax,
and it will be fought out on the floor
of the House.
Motorists throughout the country
should Immediately inform their Sena-
tors and Representatives of their de-
sires in the tax matter. The fear, eX
pressed years ago by the automobile
using public, that the tax might even
tually he looked upon as a sales tax
was not without foundation. The
Government now regards it as such.
and there Is determined opposition
IN the country to a sales tax, and
there is, and ought to be. a strong
feeling that automobiles should not
be singled out as the only necessity
which must pay a sales tax" Rep
resentative Mclaughlin declares.
Now is the crucial time for motor
dom to express it's opinion of the re-
peal. as the measure will be finally
voted upon in the House before Christ.
mas" President Weeks declared in
urging prompt action on the part of
motorists in voicing their opinions.