Evening star., 1927-10-02
VIRGINIA TO FORCE
AUTO TAX PAYMENT
State Motor Vehicle Official
Explains Law Arousing
Protest in District.

ing the state Of Virginia for a clear
cut definition Of its stand on the ap
plication of the States motor-vehicl
taxing laws to local owners and opera
tors, information reaching The Sta
last night both from its correspondent
in Richmond and in copy of th'
State attorney Generals ruling OF
the case, indicate that the following
policy will be adopted:
All owners OF commercial or pas
senger vehicles going regularly int
Virginia on business must purchase
license tags, and any temporary
resident Of Virginia must purchase
tags regardless of the time he spend:
in the State.
In this latter connection. however
It was made plain that the ordinary
touring visitor need have no fear Of
operating in the State on District tags
Hayes Questioned.
The information received by The
Star seems to answer substantially
two questions propounded to James
NJ. Hayes, Jr., Virginia commissioned
of motor vehicles, by Assistant Traffic
Director NJ. o. Eldridge, on the reply
to which 1t was said, would hinge any
retaliatory measures adopted by the
District in possible reciprocity
war" with Virginia.
These questions were:
1. Is Virginia going to compel DIS
trict owners of commercial or pasSen'
ger vehicles going regularly into Vir'
ginia on business to purchase State
license tags?
2, How long may a District resident
reside temporarily in Virginia without
having to equip his automobile with
Virginia tags?
Officials of the Traffic Bureau, the
Corporations Counsel's office and the
Board of Commissioners are awaiting
the formal replies of Virginia to these
queries before making any aggressive
move in what is termed at the Dis.
trict Building "a crucial situation"
Case of DIR. Jones.
In asking the Virginia motor We
hicle commissioner to settle these two
points, the local Traffic Bureau cited
the specific case Of DR.. Louise Taylor
Jones Of the Rochambeau, who was
fined IS and costs, or total OF about
$15. last Wednesday at Mclean, Va.
for failure to equip her automobile
with Virginia license plates. In his
letter to Mr.. Hayes the assistant traf'
fic director points out that DIR. Jones
insists she is bona fide resident of
Washington, but has Summer cot.
tage in Virginia.
This case is analogous to that of
DR.. w. A. Frankland Of the United
States Public Health Service, whose
appeal from the conviction by a Fair
fax County roadside court will be
heard at Fairfax Court House Novem.
ber 2. DR.. Frankland contends he Is
not q resident of Virginia, although
he now and then occupies cottage
there. He claims he should not have
to equip his car with Virginia tags.
In answer to the question regard
ing automobiles going into Virginia
on business, Commissioner Hayes
yesterday told a Star correspondent
In Richmond that Virginia intends
to make owners Of all motor vehicles
coming regularly into that State for
commercial purposes purchase the
regulation State commercial tags.
Virginia Official's Statement.
1--WE made a check over a period
or seyeral months on the number OF
automobiles with District tags going
over the Arlington County bridges
into Washington every morning" Mr..
Hayes stated. From this count 1t
appears that about 1000 residents OF
Virginia are evading our tag require
ments by giving fictitious Washing
ton addresses. We have tried repeat
edly to break up this practice, but
received little cooperation up there.
Now we are going to solve the prob
lem ourselves.
..'The State IL being deprived OF a
large sum of money because of this
evasion of the law in the northern
part of the State. The people seem
10 prefer to pay 81 for D. c. license
than to give the State its due. We
are not concerned with legal resi-
dents Of the District of Columbia,
but with our own law evaders.
, ~"As for commercial vehicles. the
State law says that every vehicle
operating in Virginia on business
shall be equipped with Virginia tags
and we simply mean to enforce the
law"
In the meantime. Charles c. Col
iins. attorney for the American Auto
mobile Association. was In telephonic
conversation with Attorney General
John r. Saunders yesterday in an
effort to get some direct information
On the ruling and was told by Mr.
Saunders that the opinion was hand
ed down by one of his assistants. and
that he was not yet familiar with It.
/ Efforts to have the attorney general
telegraph a copy of the opinion failed
but Mr., Collins succeeded in getting
b COPY from H. Carlin Cockrell, OF
Vienna, Va, justice of the peace OF
Providence District, Fairfax County
who wrote to Commissioner Hayes
asking for an opinion in speclhc
cases, among them certain individ-
lals who were said to 1--we in Vir-.
Slnia, but who carried District oi
Columbia license plates. and certain
corporations whose vehicles came into
The State on business every day. Or
Jones' case was among these. Mr.
Hayes in turn wrote the attorney
general for his views.
No question was raised In the cor
respondence as to the matter OF feci
brocity, involving that Of passenger
vehicles coming into the State from
the District OF Columbia. except OF
Those of people alleged to be residents
sOf the State. In the specific cases
fkited by Justice Cockrell the ruling
Twas made that the operators must
obtain license plates.
+. Attorney Generals Letter.
e Mr. Collins said that he would give
liz copy OF the ruling tomorrow morn
nng to Corporation Counsel William
w. Bride of the District Of Columbia
* The attorney generals letter Il
ffrr. Hayes embodying the ruling fol
ttows:
II Acknowledgment Is made Of youl
Aetter of recent date, in which yot
lrequest me to advise you as to wheth
Itr / think automobile licenses shouit
tbe paid by the hereinafter mentioned
tDarties on the following statement!
: of fact:
cdr, T. B. Jones and DIR. LOUIS
Zones. his wife. DIR. Louise Jones
owns a farm in Fairfax County: EN-
ploys a caretaker and maid; resides
four or five months of the year ol
said farm. but claims they are no
Sesidents Of Virginia, and do no