Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1917-08-10
why MaryIanders Tax d. C. Mo-
florists.
From the Washington Star.

| ~, e.SWe' mas written letter to
Inc Star, in which he outlines the views
Oh Marylanders as to why the roads of Mary
lahd should not be opened up to motorists
oil the District of Columbia without CHARGE.
as the proposed Adamson bill would do.
i have watched with much interest the
various attempts that have been made in
congress to compel the State of Maryland
70 open up to motorists of the District of
columbia without any restriction whatever,
the thirteen hundred miles of perfect road
Quilt at a cost to the Maryland taxpayers
OF over twenty-fOur millions dollars. with
maintenance charge of three-quarters of
million per annum," Mr.. Metzerott de-
clared. He continued:
In proportion to the wealth, population
and area Maryland has spent more than
any other State in the Union for her State
highways, and it is conceded by all who
know the facts that these roads are the
best maintained on the continent, In
order to provide fund purely for main
tenance the present automobile tax of SO
cents per horsepower per annum, was
created. but the cost of maintenance ia
over a hundred thousand dollars more per
annum than the total amount derived from
this tax.
The resident Of Maryland is paying for
these roads in direct taxes, both real and
personal. including personal tax on the
value OF his car. In addition to this he
pays exactly the same annual license tax
for the privilege of driving over the roads
that the citizen Of the District of Columbia
is at present required to pay.
Surely it cannot be argued that it is an
injustice to require Of the District citizen
the same mileage charge that is charged
the citizens of Maryland, who have borne
the entire cost of construction. The sub
urban mileage of the District of Columbia
is very small, but its condition, as COM
pared to the splendid highways that meet
It on every hand. is not only wretched, but
deplorable. The residents of Washington
who 60 into Virginia and seek good road
must either keep to the roads built by the
Federal Government or he must carry
heavy purse in order to meet the toll
CHARGES that are levied upon him on prac-
tically every other good road in the Old
Dominion If the Maryland license tax is
to be wiped out-and the Adamson or
similar acts would most certainly result in
vii MT for
for WashingtOnians-th the State of
Maryland must find some new revenue to
produce the $75O.0OO fund necessary to
maintain the State highways.
/. THE direct tax in the State of Maryland
has grown so heavy. very largely from the
expenses of building roads, that ii is inn
possible at this time to increase it, and
there remains only one source from which
this necessary fund can be obtained "a
source which will prove highly expensive
and undesirable to motorists, whether they
hail from Washington, Georgia. Nevada or
Maryland itself. This source is the toll
gate, and there is no power. in Congress or
out of it. to prevent Maryland from chare-
ing toll to everybody who travels over her
State-owned highways.
THE tollgate will involve additional ex-
pense through the erection Of tollgates and
the employment OF gatemen all over the
State. and this burden will fall directly
upon the motorists. Furthermore. it will
be entirely possible and legal for the State
to sell an annual ticket, for fiat sum, with
a registration number similar to the pres
ent license number. to those who care to
purchase. and all others will have the very
dsagreeable privilege of stopping along
the road and paying as they 90. Such
legislation will undoubtedly be enacted by
the General Assembly of Maryland should
the AdamsOn bill become a law. and the
motorists of Washington and all the rest Of
the United States will, therefore. have cause
to remember the author of the Federal act
designed to benefit them %. with any
thing but reverence.
If any motor vehicle legislation is to be
undertaken by Congress it should be a
measure designed to create a single Fed
eral license. the returns from which could
be distributed among the States in proper
ton to road mileage. population, etc. II
may be argued that such an act would be
unconstitutional. The answer is that it
would be both desirable and constructive
legislation and in every way as constitu
tiona as the legislation proposed"
"How Would You LIKE ToLLGATEs. GENTLE
MENi"
Under the above caption the Baltimore
Sun makes the following earnest, pertinent
editorial comment upon the letter Of Mr..
MetzerOtt:
I'VE hope every automobile owner in
Maryland and the District Of Columbia will
read carefully Mr.. Metzerott's excellent
letter on the probable results Of the pas
sage of the foolish and meddlesome Adam
son law. which proposes to throw open to
District motorists without charge the splen-
did roads that il cost us so much to build
and that 1t costs us so much to main
thiH ~ tiiOoC WIN huFV ioibceeSh "hot
they represent in money Mr.. Metzerott
recalls that they involved the expenditure
Of about $24.000,000. and that it takes
$75O,O00 year to keep them in good
condition. II anyone in or out Of Wash
ineton supposes that the State Of Mary
land will sit down quietly and permit her
self to be deprived Of ninety or one hun
bred thousand dollars road revenue year.
that person will have to do some more cal
culating.
I'VE shall find way to make those who
use the roads contribute their due proper
ton to their upkeep. and it is not likely
that we will put the loss on the general
taxpayer. who already has trouble enough
Of his own. As Mr.. Metzerott points out,
Al. -a.f1oot oF Waahtndfnn u, ho does info