Evening star., 1931-12-19
Capper Group Will Study In
come, Estate, Gasoline and
Automobile Levies.
CITIZENS WILL RECEIVE
HEARING, SAYS CHAIRMAN
Motor Car Tags Will Cost From
$11 to $3.50 Under Pro-
posed Legislation.

All four OF the House bills seeking
to impose additional taxes on the peo-
pie of Washington will be handled by
the regular District Of Columbia Com
mittee in the Senate, it was decided
today.
When the bills came over from the
House yesterday the ones providing for
local income tax and local estate
tax were referred to the Finance Com
mittee, which handles national legisla-
ton relating to taxation. The other
two bills, raising the gasoline tax from
? TO 4 cents a gallon and imposing a
tax on automobiles by weight, were sent
to the District Committee.
When the Senate met today, how
ever. Senator Smoot of Utah, chairman
of the Finance Committee. requested
that the income and estate bills be
transferred to the regular District
Committee, and this was done without
debate The District Committee is
headed by Senator Arthur Capper, Re-
publican, of Kansas, who has become
thoroughly familiar with District prob
lens through long period Of service IL
handling legislation for Washington.
Citizens Will Be Heard.
All four of the tax bills will be sub
jected to careful study and full inquiry
al the Senate end of the Capitol. Sen
ator Capper announced this afternoon
after the income and estate tax bills
had been referred from the Finance
Committee to the District Committee
of which he is chairman.
Every one in the District who wants
to be heard will be given that oppor-
tunity" Senator Capper said. He added
that such an invitation would be eX-
tended especially to District officials,
the citizens organizations and trade
bodies. The Senator indicated. how
ever, that he saw no need for hurried
action on the measures.
Senator Carey, Republican, of Wyo-
ming. and a member of the District
Committee, also said today that he
plans to make thorough study of the
several bills and that he also feels
ample time should be taken to weigh
them carefully before they are acted
upon.
Trucks and Taxis Hard Hit.
The cost of tags for passenger auto
mobiles will range from a minimum
of S11 to a maximum of so under
the new weight tax bill, according to
compilations today by Washington
motor dealers.
Trucks and public vehicles. however
will be hit hardest under the weight
schedule. Tags for light six taxicabs
and one-ton motor trucks will cost
$25. For trucks between two and three
tons the price will be $50. Tags for
trucks between five and six tons will
cost 1925. In excess of six tons the
price of truck tags will be $500.
The weight tax on pleasure vehicles
under the bill will be SO cents a hun
dred pounds. A graduated scale is
proposed for trucks and public We
hicles, the rate per 100 pounds in
creasing with the size of the vehicle.
Old Cars Hardest Hit.
AS the weight-taX schedule Is in
tended as substitute for the present
personal property tax on motor We
hicles, owners of old cars, especially
those in the heavy class, will be seri-
ously affected. Owners of the old cars,
regardless of their size, now pay a
minimum personal property tax of so
cents year Coupled with the present
81 fee for tags, the total amount paid
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