Evening journal., 1918-07-25

\
, IL has steadily increased. Between 1910
and 1917 the output of crude oil in
creased 60 per cent, while the produc-
/ ton Of gasoline was multiplied five
times. Even if there were imminent
danger OF shortage, consumption could
be regulated by federal control, much
more easily than has been done re-
| specting coal and sugar, for example.
Yet Secretary McAdoo seriously urges
that gasoline, the most valuable and
essential source Of power available,
shall be listed as a luxury" The tax,
the statement Of the treasury depart
ment says, distinctly labels the taxed
article as a luxury" And It Is added
that the purpose is mot only TO raise
revenue, but to discourage wasteful
consumption and unnecessary produc-
tion."
Since the action was not needed to
prevent a shortage. there is only one
explanation for the extraordinary de-
vice Of putting gasoline under the ban
as a luxury" whose use must be dis
couraged and reduced. Secretary Nc
Adoo seeks to capitalize, for revenue
purposes, a prejudice which he knows
to exist to a great degree against the
automobile, based upon a wholly err
roneous belief that automobiles use all
the gasoline produced and that they
are used chiefly for pleasure driving.
He dlscerns that this idea will appeal
10 some congressman from unprOgress-
i've parts Of the country, to whom the
word automobile suggests the padded
limousine and the long discarded prac-
tice of 'joy-rldlng"
Such a conception is, OF course, pre-
posterous While the principal use of
gasoline is in motor-driven vehicles, 1t
is employed also TO operate airplanes,
stationary Observation-Disclosures engines,
tractors and other portable units, and
for general industrial and household
purposes. For Industrial, export and
war purposes alone the consumption
this year will be more than 750,000,O00
gallons, 30 per cent Of the total. There
are nearly $1,000 farm tractors in use
in the country. The number Of sta
tioDary engines using this power can
not be computed, but a government re-
port states that "the horsepower or
gasoline internal-combustion engines in
the United States"-thls, Of course, in
cludes all klnds-"is more than twice
that Of all those driven by steam"
But let us examine the automobile
factor, since Il is upon that that Mr.
McAdoo relies to popularize his extrav-
agant proposal. There are about s.
10000 registered automobiles In tht
United States. Less than 6i.00O-ap-
proxlmately 10 per cent-are cars OF
the luxury" type. costing more than
$1,000: the vast majority range in price
from $500 OF $500 to $1,000. Now there
are 100000 motortrucks in service, and
the number grows by thousands month
ly. So vital has this kind Of transpor-
tation become that II it were suddenly
10 be withdrawn the railroad systems
Of the country would be clogged with
in a week. Moreover. the gasoline used
by motortrucks is far greater than the
number would suggest; they average
less than five miles per gallon, and act
ually use about one-fourth Of all the
gasoline used for automobile purposes.
We can hardly credit a report re-
Gently brought TO US, that Secretary
McAdoo considers the mOtortruck neg
llgible in comparison TO the railroads
as a freight-movlng agency, and that he
minimizes the economic value of good
roads. Certainly the mOtortruck would
suffer. for the luxury" tax would be
paid by the wholesaler, and would be
passed on 10 the consumer, whether