Evening star., 1931-12-27


miles to gallon, 1900 gallons of easo-
lne is required, on which the tsx is
s3o. Personal property tax and the
sag approximate IS more, or a total of
Soo unoer present conditions.
Cost Nearly Tripled.
BY the pending measure. the gas tax
would Jump to $50, which. with the
Incense fee OF $40, would make a total
OF Sl00, or nearly three times the pres
ent cost OF operation.
IN the case, certainly. of the vanning
INDUSTRY, this additional cost is going
10 be reflected in higher costs to the
patrons, according to Fanciullt who m
SAID that owing to the seasonal nature
OF the business it would be necessary
virtually to double the rates for NOV
ing household effects.
SO lar as concerns that equipment
winch would be driven from the high
ways, Mr.. Fanciulli points out that the
present maxium tonnage of single ve-
hlcle is $4,000 pounds, but that the di-
rector OF traffic is empowered to issue
special permits in exceptional cases
under which he specifies the route over
which the vehicle must move.
The suggested change, Fanciulli
points out, puts the maximum tonnage
at $4,000 pounds, and vests no discre.
tion with the director of traffic to
make exceptions.
Under such law, Mr.. Fanciulli SAYS
many pieces OF heavy equipment used
by contractors could not traverse the
streets, and even pieces of building ma.
terial would be barred by their size.
Discrimination Is Feared.
There also is another problem raised
In the trucking industry, he saws, by
the out t-of-toWn operators who come in
here right now and take business from
local haulers by underwriting them
particularly on Government Jobs. and
who would be placed in even more ad.
vantageouS position unless Congress
specifically provided that they should
pay the same fees exacted of Local
operators.
At present some pay no local levies
whatever according to Mr.. Fanciulli
who says that this applies particularly
to Maryland truck owners.
Very little Government work is being
done by local concerns. he declares
In Virginia, the reciprocity issue
which was stirred couple of years age
when Washington merchants CARRYING
on trade across the Potomac were
threatened with taxation there, again
is f1aring.
special commission appointed last
Summer by Gov. Pollard to investigate
and recommend to the next Legislature
revision of the truck and bus laws has
just made public an advance synopsis
OF its report which recommends that
trucks used by local business houses
to make Virginia deliveries be required
to register in that State and pay fees
ranging from SIS for the smallest to
s1,195 for the largest.
Sees Enormous Expense.
"The fees recommended by the COM
mission are to be doubled for all We
hicles operated for profit" Fanciulli
amplified, land if this proposel to
eliminate truck tag reciprocity is en-
acted-and there are powerful influ-
ences demanding this action by the
Legislature-the cost to Washington
merchants and various lines of indus
try for making deliveries in Virginia
will easily exceed 100000 a year.
III the local concerns attempt to re-
cover this expense by adding a charge
for deliveries in Virginia, they might
be forced to pay the double rate that
the commission recommends for trucks
operated for profit"
Under bill passed in Virginia more
than two years ago, outside contract
trucks-that is, vehicles for hire-and
private trucks, which are the delivery
class, would have been forced to pay
the same fee as those owned in Vir-
ginia.
Commercial interests here united
their forces and obtained an amend
ment to the law that permitted Gov.
Byrd to issue a proclamation grant
ing reciprocity to the private carriers.
All, however, that would now be
necessary to overturn this, according
to Fanciulli, would be for Gov. Pol
lard to revoke the proclamation of his
predecessor.
The contract carriers have been pay
ing the Virginia fees. They are al
lowed to operate $50 consecutive days"
without meeting the State levy, but this
allowance, Mr.. Fanciulli says, has been
considerably curtailed by the decision
OF some courts which have ruled that
the 80 days must date from the first
trip.
Milk Carriers Threatened.
In addition to the added cost which
local merchants and industries would
have to pay for their operations,
Fanciulh says an increase in the cost