Evening journal., 1917-03-06
SPIRIT OF THE
DELMARVIA PRESS
ROADS AND REVENUE.


From the Dover index.
The Delaware Legislature is facing
some pretty difficult problems. There
is a great demand for better roads,
in fact for real, permanent roads,
and that means, Of course, expensive
roads. The dirt or gravel road is no
longer looked upon as more than
makeshift and the macadam road is
far from satisfactory and is probably
the most expensive road in the long
run. Perhaps the concrete road or
the brick road promises most in the
way OF permanancy as well as econ
omy in repairs. To meet the demand
will require lot of money and II
the State bOrrows the money and d.
verts the automobile money. amount
ing now to about $4,000 per annum,
and which may soon reach 100000,
the State Treasury will suffer and
some other means must be found to
take its place. Among the plans for
this are the graduated inheritance
tax which. while it promises revenue.
is unsatisfactory because il cannot
be relied on to produce a dependable
revenue each year. it may produce
a large amount and the next but
little. depending on the death rate of
persons possessing large estates.
Another plan is an income tax
something like the Federal income
tax, but with a much lower eXemp-
ton. Another plan proposes to tax
investments. a part of the tax to go
TO the State. and a part to the coun-
tics. as was done under the Adams
tax law. declared unconstitutional be-
cause Of defect in its title. It is
understood that there will be SER
ious opposition to diverting the au
tomobile revenue 20 roads unless
some plan is devised for raising at
least the same amount OF revenue
from some other sources. We want
the roads and we must keep up and
improve our schools and no other
State institution or need must suf-
fer The people of Delaware must
understand that there is but one way
To get the needed revenue and that
is by taxation. II we have what We
want aud need as a state VIC must
pay for it.
Il is true that much might he
savtd by proper economy but we
seem to have passed beyond that. In
many departments OF our State Gov
eminent VIC waste money and the
members Of the Legislature arc not
half as careful Of the States money
as they are or their own. Under our
present system few OF the members
know the real financial condition Of
tho State. its sources OF revenue and
the needs of its departments and
the needs of its Institutions, its
schools and other benehciaries.
We favor good roads and we be-
lievo roads can be built and main
tanned by the State through a State
Highway Commission; VIC also be-
lieve in tho State borrowing the
money to pay for roads. Il doesn't
matter to us whether the automobile
moneys are used to pay the interest,
sinking fund and maintenance or the
money for such purposes is raised in
some other way. We believe in good
roads and good schools, and in rails
ing money for these purposes by
bonds and taxation. The inheritance
tax will help and an investment Ia,
will help and an income tax so ad
justed as not TO put a double burden
on incomes already taxed by the Ma
tional Government would be fair. Th'
people Of the State must pay the bills
Of the state and taxation is the only
means Of getting the money from th'
people.