Evening star., 1937-04-27

the subcommittee to discuss all the
tax bills pending before it, because
some Of them undoubtedly will be
scrapped," said Kennedy. Il think
the subcommittee should give them
something tangible to shoot at
For that reason plan to have the
subcommittee, as soon as possible,
work out a tentative program Of tax
alton that will raise the needed S.
100000 and then call on the civic
and business leaders to discuss it. I
think that should be done in the in
terest of efficiency. Time now is
serious element in this tax study. It's
just q little over two months before
the beginning Of the new fiscal year,
and think Congress owes it to the
on the statute books by that time"
The Commissioners proposal for .
graduated weight tax on automobiles
would dsplace the existing 81 tax
on tags, but would not disturb the
personal property tax now levied on
motor vehicles.
The schedule Of registration fees
would work out As follows:
Class A, passenger vehicles with .
seating capacity OF less than eight
passengers exclusive Of driver:
Not more than $500 pounds, IS.
$500 pounds up TO $500 pounds
So
Over $500 pounds, sl2.
Fees are doubled when equipped
with other than pneumatic tires.
Class 3, trucks, tractors. trailers and
| passenger vehicles for hire carrying
more than eight passengers in addi-
tion to driver:
Not more than 1000 pounds, SIS.
1000 pounds up to 1000 pounds, $40
1000 pounds up to 5000 pounds, $35.
5000 pounds up to 5000 pounds, $50
5000 pounds up to 10000 pounds,
| $65.
10000 pounds up to $4,000 pounds,
SIS
$4,000 pounds up to 5000 pounds,
500.
Over 5000 pounds, $3.50
SSo AAS dodblCo NllCh
with other than pneumatic tires.
Glass C-Motor cycle. motor bicycle,
| motor tricycle. and motor wheel, IS
| each.
Glass D-Motor vehicles not pro-
PEELED by gasoline, double the fees for
similar vehicles propelled by gasoline
Glass EFor dealers Identification
tags. first three sets of tags, s25. and
IS for each additional set
Late Registration Half.
When application for registration
OF any vehicle is received on or after
August the registration fee shall be
| one-half the usual amount
Prom the Scent tax on gasoline
approximately $l.I0o,00o would be
turned over for the exclusive use Of
| highway development improvement
and maintenance. leaving some $780,
| 900 for impounding in the general
fund for support OF the District gov
ernment. 1t also imposes a IS license
fee on gasoline stations.
Chairman Kennedy of the House
subcommittee has his own ideas about
some OF these tax proposals. He
would apply the weight tax on auto
mobiles only to commercial vehicles
| On so-called pleasure cars he would
place = tax on horsepower, similar to
the tax imposed in Maryland, which
Is 80 cents per rated horsepower.
The Commissioner proposal, how
ever, works out slightly less on aver
| age weight cars than would q horse
power tax. Virginia has a weight tax
of 40 cents per 100 pounds on private
vehicles ax well As . personal property
tax.
The Collins measure sets up q
weight tax somewhat similar to the
one proposed by the Commissioners
but abolishes the personal property
tax
With respect to the proposed is
| per cent increase in the insurance
tax, the Commissioners believe the
levy would still be somewhat lower
than similar taxes imposed in most
other States.
I-Cent Gas Tax Asked.
| NdDG. w lAUCllulSG "hS AISAt SdllCA
and urged an increase Of l cent rather
than cents in gasoline taxes, He
explained l-cent increase would
yield Sl,10O,000 more in revenue and
permit development Of q satisfactory
highway program provided Federal
aid is made available under the Fed
eral aid highway act.
Capt Whitehurst also pointed out
that a 3-cent local tax on gas would
make 5000, 900 year available for
highway improvements. Reducing the
amount that would be diverted to sup
port some of the activities of the De-
partment OF Vehicles and Traffic, as
provided in the 1898 district appro-
priation bill as it passed the House
he said there would be $3,475, ,00C
available in the coming fiscal year fol
the Highway Department.
This sum Of S3.475 0O0." he said
"is S477000 less than the annual
average appropriation of the Highway
Department for the nine years, 1895
to 1888, inclusive. During this period
the annual average appropriation was
$685., ,283, of which q little more thar
so per cent was paid from the genera
funds of the District. During the
period from 1894 to 1887. inclusive
the annual average from District
funds was only $2,67S,812, with ovel
90 per cent being paid from the ga,
tax fund. During the years 1884 Il
1895. inclusive, the annual average
Of 32,67S,Sl2 was supplemented by ar
annual average Of $1,2s0. 900 from
the Bureau OF Public Roads variou,
emergency act funds, making 4 tota