The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-02-19
BOOSTED AUTO
FEES COUNTER
INCOME TAXES
Industrial Interests Fighting
Levy Would Increase Cost
of License Plates.
AID TO GENERAL FUND
Nearly 100000 Would
Be Added, Advocates of
Raise Assert.

Auto license plates today had
chased income tax blanks from the
tax revision spotlight on Indiana's
legislative stage.
Showed from the wings by in
duStrial interests strongly opposed
to personal and corporate income
tax measures passed by the house.
license plates would be counted
upon to contribute nearly $40
100000 annually to the states gen
eral fund under two bills intro
duced in the senate late wednes-
day.
Increases Proposed
OF this sum. approximately $1,000
600 would come from auto fee in
creases, while approximately $780,
600 would be diverted from the
highway commission to the general
fund.
The highway commission now re-
ceives all revenues from auto license
fees. These amounted to $685.
1892 for the fiscal year ending
Sept. 80, 1880.
The senate's special tax COM
mittee, which received the two
measures raising the fees and oil
verting the revenues to the general
fund, considered them again today.
The committee decided to favor
the bills with an amendment
to mandate decrease in the state
property tax rate commensurate
with revenues raised by the license
plate bills.
Meantime the house bills to tax
personal incomes from l to 6 per
cent and corporate incomes 3 per
cent await the senate's considera-
ton as a committee of the whole
at 1890 Friday morning.
Charges Of Lobbying
They were to have been consid-
cred in that fashion by the senate
Wednesday, and the delay, on mo-
ton Of Senator Lee j. Hartzell
(Rep., Allen and Noble, majority
floor leader, brought the charge
from Senator Walter S. Chambers
(Den1., Hancock, Henry and Madi
SOM, that the delay was for the
purpose of permitting lobbyists to
work against the income tax
measures
The special tax committee mem
bers hold the opinion the license
fees should be supplemental to the
income tax measures. But income
tax opponents are bringing strong
pressure to bear in favor of substi-
tuting the fee bills for the income
measure.
Enactment Of the auto bills, in
PRODUCED jointly by Republican and
Democratic senators, would reduce
highway department road building
funds to revenues from the gasoline
tax and federal aid funds, totaling
about $16,O00,000 a year.
Fees on Weight Basis
Under the new scale of fees, pas
senger automobiles would be
charged at the rate of so cents a
hundred pounds.
Fees for commercial vehicles
would be graduated according to
weight On the following basis:
For tractors. motor trucks and delivery
cars weighing up to 2.5o0 pounds. 60 cents
per 100 pounds: 2.500 to 1000 pounds, IS
cents per 100 pounds: 1000 to 5000 pounds.
90 cents: above 5000 pounds. $1.io per 100
pounds.
For trailers weighing up to 1000 pounds
so cents per 100 pounds above 1000
pounds. 81: for semi-trailers. double the
rate for trailers. For motorcycles, SO each.
For each auto bus operated for hire over
any Of the public highways on regular
schedule Of time and rates. So a year for
each rated passenger carrying capacity.
exclusive OF the driver. in addition to the
rates on weight.
For BUSES operating on an interstate
schedule. 50 for each person q year at
the rated carrying capacity. exclusive of
the driver. IN addition to the weight rate:
to the bus rate is to be added IS per cent
for vehicles having solid tires. The fee for
motor busSes operating wholly within the
corporate limits of a city would be one
third OF the regular motor bus fee, and
school buses owned by school corporations
would be exempt from the license fee.
The fee for registration or reregistTation
Of each manufacturer or dealer would be
fixed at $780, emitting the registrant to
two pairs Of plates. and the fee for dupli-
cate dealers licenses would be fxed at
IS. and for owners duplicate plates. 81