Evening star., 1928-05-06
AUTO WEIGHT TAX
URGED IN DISTRICT
Proposed System Would Be
Substituted for Present
Tag Registration.
BY WILLIAM ]. WHEATLEY.

more juggling OF the taxes on huiO-
mobiles In the District of Columbia is
brewing. With the probability that II
the methods are changed the local
motorist, as he always does. will come
out on the wrong side with more taxes,
and nothing to show for It, The pro-
posal has been made that weight tax
should be substituted for the present
81 tag registration fee, and again
this is offered with a little bit
OF sugar in the suggestion that the per-
Sonal tax would he taken off, should
the new system receive congressional
approval
However the motorist is not so
optimistic about the old personal tax
This was the bait which covered the
morSel when the gasoline tax went into
effect but somehow in the legislative
dieeSting machine. the motorists
troubles came out with the gas tax.
the tag registration of dollar, the
three years operators registration at
$S--or 81 year, and the personal tax.
Weight Tax Suggestion.
The Bureau OF efficiency has suggest
ed or recommended to the Gibson sub
committee of the House District COM
mittee. which is looking over the at-
fairs OF the District OF Columbia. that
weight tax should be substituted for
the tag registration fee here, on the
ground that 1t would be more equitable
for the larger and heavier cars and
trucks to pay more than the smaller
cars. because of the damage TO road
ways. But that is just the reason for
the gasoline tax. and 1t appears that
II is equitable in this respect for the
reason that the heavy truck uses con-
- \ fANt IRA all
car. and thus pays in proportion TO the
road It uses.
/: the weight tax should be put into
effect. it would not necessarily follow
that the heavier car, which theoreti-
cally wears out the roadwavs quicker,
would pay in Just proportion TO It's use.
because 1t might be laid up or out of
the city most OF the time But the
money would be in the hands of the
District. Under the gasoline tax plan.
the machine that is not using the
streets does not require gasoline in
large quantities and therefore should
not he charged with this burden, On
the other hand. the large tourist influx
here annually would not be charged
with this weight expense. but they do
pay now when they buy their gasoline
here. and 1t is almost certain when they
come here that they load up tAelr ma
chimes. because the gas is cheaper, the
District having only 2-cent tax on
gasoline as against cents for Virginia
and cents for Maryland.
Taxpayers Bill Increased.
The automobile taxpayers bill here
went up several hundred thousand dol
lars when the gasoline tax was put into
effect and the nominal fee of 81 for tag
registration was put into effect oStsn-
sihly 10 cover, the cost Of making the
tags and distributing them, and at the
time the gasoline tax was conceded
generally to be the most equitable
method OF making the greatest user
pay.
Although theoretically the weight tax
is supposed to be charge against the
destruction of roadways as was the
| gasoline tax. nevertheless 1t has not
worked out practically as to the latter
/ because the funds for the gasoline
I tax are not used for the renovation or
I reSurfscinc Of old roadwavs, particu-
larry the arterisl highways which bear