Evening star., 1932-01-23
RESPONSIBILITY ACT
FORD. c. MOTORISTS
IS URGED BY GROUP
Traffic Committee of Board
of Trade Calls for Early
Action on Bill.
18 STATES HAVE SIMILAR
STATUTES AT PRESENT
Auto Tax Set by Weight in Mapes
Program Attacked at
Meeting.

Calling for early action on the Ameri-
can Automobile Associations bill pro-
viding a safety-responsibility law for
the District, which failed to pass the
last session of Congress and is now
again pending before that body, the
Traffic Committee of the Washington
Board of Trade, at a meeting yesterday
in the Raleigh Hotel. reaf1rmed its in
dorsement of the proposal.
Similar action on the measure was
taken by the trade boards committee
when the bill was before the Seventy
first Congress, where 1t died as the ses-
sion ended, after passing the House and
receiving favorable report by the Sen
ate District Committee.
Four Points Included.
The law, which is now effective in 18
States and in four provinces Of Can
ada, provides (D that any person con-
victed of a major traffic offense must,
before his permit is restored, show
financial responsibility for the sum OF
$1,000 (of which 81 1000 is for property
damage and $4,000 for injury to one or
more persons in an accident) by post
ing collateral, taking out bond or Sc
curing liability insurance; (2) that a
motorist failing to pay a judgment
levied against him by court of COM
petent Jurisdiction up to this amount
for an accident be deprived of his per-
NIT to drive until he meets the re-
ouirement of the law; 90 that all
States recognizing this law maintain
reciprocal relationship, prohibiting a
motorist convicted in one State from
operating in another, and "a that all
States enact laws requiring driving
licenses to provide closer check on au-
tomobile operators.
The Traffic Committee, of which
Theodore P. Noyes is chairman, adopted
resolution opposing enactment OF any
tax-raising legislation which would re-
quire District motorists to pay more
than fair share for the upkeep oi
roads and the furthering of the high
ways program in Washington. The
committee was opposed specifically te
the legislation proposed in one of the
automobiles in accordance with theil
weight which it held was an inequitablt
method of taxation in view of the unique
conditions in the Capital.
May CurtaiI Service.
ED. Merrill of the Washington Rapid
Transit Co., in discussing the weight
and gasoline tax proposals of the Mapes
bills, said If the measures are enacted
as they passed the House, his company
would find it necessary to curtatl the
present service. 1t would mean an in
crease in tax of more than 5 per cent
of the total gross revenue of the COM
pany, he declared.
j. e. Heberle, assistant to the presi-
dent of the Capital Traction Co., said
in view of the fact tax Of per cent
of his concerns gross revenue from bus
operation is now levied in lieu of the
personal property tax, the bills as
drafted would impose an additional
form of taxation on their vehicles. The
proposed weight tax, it Is explained, is
intended as a substitute for the per-
sonal property tax.
The meeting of the committee was
addressed by Jerome Fanciulli, execu-
tive secretary of the Commercial Motor
Vehicle Owners Association, who out
lined the scope Of proposed legislation
in Virginia affecting the existing reci-
procity laws on motor vehicles.
The committee adopted resolution
urging that the traffic department con-
slider the advisability of eliminating
parking on one side Of Fifteenth street
between New York avenue and K street
as a means of lessening congestion in
that area. It also recommended re-
moval of taxicab stands on that street
toward the center Of the blocks.