Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-02-16
A POLITICAL GESTURE
Editor Askov Americans:

Editor ASkOV American:
This morning the metropolitan pa
pers announced that the conservative
State Senate had passed the 500 cut
in auto license fees. On the surface
this action seems to be largely pO-
litical for the purpose, of Obstructing
Governor Olson who is opposed to a
500 cut in the present license rates.
Governor Olson does favor cut in
the minimum fee, now SO or $3.50,
to about $500 or $500. The Senate
action may result in killing bill now
proposed by Representative Hjalmar
Petersen i'm which it is proposed to
cut the minimum fee about that
much. We do not need 500 cut in
auto license fees, but we do need the
minimum fee cut to $500. Such a
cut will benefit the owners of cheaper
makes of cars, and they are the ones
who have taken the biggest jOlts in
this depression and consist almost
pie of small means.
The fact is that a cut in the mini
mum fee will benefit the cheap car
owner about as much as the 500
cut proposed by the Senate, which
follows the recommendation of con-
sentative Mike Holm. Most Ford and
Chevrolet owners who have cars two
or three years old would pay the min
imum fee and under the proposed
slash would pay about the same
amount. The most the owner of
new car of these makes could hope
to save would be S7.32 But 500
slash in license rates would save the
man who can afford a $4,000 to $4,000
car from S3S.S2 to S51.S4.
Here are some of the rates of auto
| license fees on 1882 models under
present rates and under the proposed
Senate slash of 500: Franklin LimOu-
sine-present rate, S90.40, senate rate,
S45.20, 10 depreciations; Chrysler COW.
sedan-S77.65, $3S.S2, 8 depreciations;
Cadillac, Fleetwood, COW. coupe
$107.S9, $53.94, 9 depreciations; Pierce
Arrow, encl drive limousine-$103.6S
S51.S4, depreciatiOnS: Packard, sedan
limousine-$1O1.41, $50.71, depreci-
atiOnS.
Compare with these as to present
rate and senate rate respectively,
Chevrolet special sedan-S13.2S, 1854,
depreciatiOn; Ford, cow. sedan
1888 $3.50, 1882. depreciations.
Read those figures carefully. The
Senate rate under the 500 cut would
represent the reduction in taxes to
the owners of those cars. Compare
a saving of S732 with a saving of
S53.94. Who is going to get the big
gest cut under the Senate bill? Do
those who can afford luxury cars need
to be spared the payment of taxes in
such proportion? | think not.
Notice also that under present rates
the owner of an expensive car gets
reduced tax through depreciation dur
ing from s to 10 years, whereas the
owner of the cheaper car gets a re-
duction during only 2 or 3 years. By
lowering the minimum fee only the
Saving to the small car owner will be
almost the same, and he will have
his auto tax reduced during several
years before he reaches the minimum,
now. There is nothing unfair in put
ting these two classes of owners on a
parity.
AS | previously urged in this col
umn we need minimum rates cut; We
do not need to cut the rates as now
proposed for those who can afford to
drive around in a fortune on wheels.
The announcement by Mike Holm,
and the present action of the Senate,
are maneuvers designed to put the
Farmer-Labor administration and
Governor Olson in hole. 1t sounds
good to advocate a drastic cut in
taxes as does the Senate, and if the
bill is vetoed, as Governor Olson will