Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-27

wagon manufacturers. The new bust
nesses added are apartment houses, au-
tornobile repair shops, barber shops,
diaries, dealers in deadly weapons, de-
tectiye agencies, drayage vehicles, dry
cleaners, employment agencies, him ex-
changes. wholesale fish dealers, food FAC
tories and grocery stores, guides. lodging
houses. mattress manufacturers ana
dealers. miscellaneous food handlers,
public baths, pyroxylin establishments,
Slaughter houses, solicitors and swim
ming pools. IN
Two important sections Of the bill
affect public vehicles and motor BUSES
that come under the category OF COM
mon carriers. The committee, In us
report on the measure, devoted con.
siderable space to these two types OF
carriers.
The bill would impose a license fee
of $25 year on public vehicles on the
theory that they should pay 1or the
public space they occupy. In its report,
the committee said:
"It is a matter of common knowledge
that both of these classes OF vehicles
(public vehicles at large and livery
vehicles) occupy public space to the
same extent in their private calllngs,
and your committee, therefore. 1eeis
that they should be subject to the same
control and supervision and snoulo
be required to pay the same tax Tor
the use of public space.
Commissioners Frowned on Action.
Heretofore, vehicles licensed v1ader
paragraph Is of the act OF 1907 Ve
garage paragraph), have been perm
ted to carry on their calling upon ~
public space adjacent to various hotels
in the District of Columbia, to the ex-
clusion Of all other passenger Venlcles
for hire not having contracts Win
hotels. This practice has not neen WIN
the approval of the Commissioners OF
the District of Columbia, but has been
carried on in spite of their efforts 10
break up such practice.
"So-called livery vehicles, licensed un-
der said paragraph Is, operate from
public space adjacent to hotels by rea-
son of certain decisions of our local
Court of Appeals that existing legislation
does not prevent them from so doing. IL
Is also matter of common knowledge
that this condition has developed to the
point where the hotels are actually col
lecting substantial fees from taxicab
companies for the use OF public space
adjacent to the hotels.
"Your committee is Of the opinion
that this aforementioned practice should
be abolished If it is possible to do so.
There is a question as to whether the
Commissioners, at this time, have
the power to establish stands adjacent
to hotels for the accommodation OF
public vehicles. This question Is now
before the Supreme Court OF the DIS
trict of Columbia in a series of lnJunc-
ton cases. Because it Is the BELIEF Oh
this committee that all public space IN
the District of Columbia should be sub
ject to the control of the Commissioners
and that no exceptions should be made
in the case of public space adjacent to
hotels, it is specially provided
that the Commissioners be authorized to
establish stands upon the public space,
adjacent to hotels or otherwise, for oc-
eupancy by public vehicles. The COM
mittee also feels that the Commission
ers should have authority to control
the operations of this class of vehicles,
and such power also is included -
Eight mills per bus mile is provided
as the tax on common carrier buses,
chiefly to eliminate the inequitable Sys-
tenn of taxation on this class of vehicles.
Under the present system the bus lines
subsidiary to the traction companies
are taxed on basis Of 4 per cent of
their gross receipts, while competing
lines are taxed at the rate of $12 a
year per vehicle.
Rates Held Discriminatory.
"It is obvious that these rates are
discriminatory, particularly as some of
the operators-paying but $12 per bus
are in direct competition with the rail-
way company lines on which the per
cent of gross receipts are paid" the
committee said.
I'm view of the fact that Congress has
| determined on 4 per cent OF the gross
receipts as fair tax for public utilities
| 1t would seem at first glance that the
/ extension of the same rate to operations
similar to those of the utilities which
are now assessed at that rate would
provide the most logical means OF
! equalizing the rate and removing the
present discriminatory conditions. The
stumbling block to such a step lies
however, in the impracticability, first, Of
determining the total revenue accruing
from such operations as extend beyond
the confines of the District Of Columbia
and second, Of properly proportioning
such revenues, even If the total amount
were ascertainable, to the portion of the
operations carried within such confines
particularly in cases where a subStan-
tlal portion Of the revenue accrues from
entirely extra-District transportation.
I'm bus operating practice. the bus
mile now is the unit commonly used as
a basis of records and comparison, and
so seems logical unit to be employed
in this instance, particularly as the
number Of bus miles operated, in any
given period, is quantity readily ascer.
tainable from known factors"
The 8 mills per bus mile tax will mo-
change materially the tax paid by thu
street Car companies as the 4 per cen