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Show RESENTS PROPOSED MOTOR TRUCK TAX Packard President Says That Commerce Vehicles Should Not Be Assessed. The injustice of classing motor trucks among the luxuries scheduled for taxation taxa-tion in the war revenue bill is et forth clearly in a statement which' Alvan Macauley, president of Packard Motor Car company, has submitted to Senator F. M. Simmons chairman of the senate committee on finance. -, Mr. Macauley contends that the truck r is an out-and-out instrument of com- merce, wholly economic in its uses and of great military value to the govem-: govem-: ment. He asserts, moreover, that the , making of trucks is a new industry in - which no one as yet has got rich. . "Truck manufacture is a very "much : newer business than the manufacture of ' motor cars," Mr. Macauley wrote to Senator Simmons. "Your committee never heard of a manufacturer of trucks that has gotten rich out of it. No one ever took a joy ride in a truck. It is designed to haul freight, and is as far removed from being a luxury as is a wheelbarrow. "What, then, is the reason for subjecting sub-jecting trucks to the proposed 5 per cent tax, in addition to ail the other taxes they will have to stand? "Trucks are made to take care of the business of the nation. "Thev are regarded bv the warring governments as important a part of war equipment as are the cannon themselves, them-selves, being used to bring provisions to soldiers, ammunition to the guns and largely where railroads are not available, avail-able, to move all the equipment of warfare. war-fare. "Some of the European governments among them Germany, and we believe 1-ranee and England, subsidize all trucks used industrially that are adapted to transportation uses in time of warfare, bvery encouragement is given to their production in quantities and to their widespread distribution. "The last two years have proven the inadequacy bf the railroad equipment ? .coulltl'.v to handle the freight 1!d""' J'i peace times, this has given rise to a demand for trucks in every city, town and hamlet of the countrv Tliey are largely used to bring foodstuffs food-stuffs and produce to the markets and then to take care of their retail distribution. dis-tribution. "As you doubtless know, our government govern-ment is even now proposing to buy trucks in large numbers in connection with the training of the large armv we have been raising and are about to raise. "Please consider what a tremendous factor trucks will be if this country is attacked iy any foe that attempts to land troops for an invasion. "In the nature of things the foe would select a point, inaccessible to our railroads. Trucks would then prove the main reliance of the nation for transporting trans-porting troops, guns, ammunation and all supplies and eouipment. 'Trucks saved Verdun to the allies 'Do pot by harsh taxation discourage discour-age the sile of trucks, since thev Sre ; used chiefly for the distribution ' from producer to consumer. Thev will he always available for requisition bv the government in time of need. " If there is nnv article soid in America Ameri-ca that is strictly utilitarian and not. in anv remote sense luxurious, it is a truck. "VTc .respectfully urge you to foster this infant industry." 4 |