Evening star., 1920-05-22
AUTO REVENUE NOT
AD. c. ROAD FUND
New Laws Necessary to Use
1t as Such, Says
: Commissioner.

New legislation would have to be
enacted by Congress to permit the
District to use the revenue derived
from automobiles for the upkeep OF
the. roads, Commissioner Brownlow
pointed out today.
The Commissioner said he had not
studied the suggestion sufficiently to
express his view of it at this time
The proposal will be placed formally
before the city heads Monday morn
ing. when the committee representing
various organizations will be granted
nearing on the road situation.
Ltent. COL kutx's Views.
Lieut.. Col. Charles w. Kutz. Engi.
Congress would consent to the use
of automobile revenues for upkeer
of the roads instead of making ap-
preparations for the roads each year
such an arrangement would be
the same as a revolving fund" said
the Engineer Commissioner, land
Congress has several times discour-
aged the suggestion of the Commits
sioners that other District enter
prises be operated on revolving
fund.-
Col. Kutz said the Commissioners
suggested that the garbage disposal
made up of the money derived from
the sale of grease produced.
The Commissioner said Congress
has indicated that it prefers to make
the appropriations each year for the
various branches of the District and
let the revenue collected from such
sources as garbage disposal and the
a q n nf or n
the Treasury.
Work on Benning Road.
Maj F. S. Besson. assistant engineer
commissioner. said today that work
will be started in about a week on the
resurfacing of Benning road from
18th and Fl streets to the end of the
present paving near 2Sth street. The
job will cost $4,000.
At present there is an asphalt drive
way in the center of the road, with
block on either side of it. 1t is
planned to take up the block and re-
surface the full width of the road
with asphalt.
Several of the suburban roads are
beginning to show improvement as
a result of the work of the repair
gang during the past ten days.
Among the stretches of road on
which repairs have been started are:
road to the circle; Calvert street, from
Connecticut avenue to 32d street; 10Th
street, from Military road northward; !;
Sth street, from Florida avenue to
Barry place; Georgia avenue. from
Euclid to Harvard streets, and Bla-
densburg road, from Lewis street to
the District line.
L. r. Grabill. superintendent of
county roads. is endeavoring to fill
in the worst holes in all of the main
highways running to the District line.
FavOrs Change in Tax.
Wade H. Coombs, superintendent of
licenses, said today he is in favor of a
change in the method of taxation on
automobiles.
The personal tax on motor vehicles
should be abolished. he believes, and
one straight levy of so cents per
horsepower collected.
This would increase the amount of
revenue derived from automobiles, he
pointed out, because 26 per cent of
the machines in the District are class
ed as out-of-town vehicles. on which
no personal tax is collected.
Total of $3s:.057 Collected.
The amount collected last year for
automobile tags was $1S2.O57 and the
amount Of personal tax paid on auto
mobiles last year was 100000. This
is a total of $3S2.057.
Mr.. Coombs predicts that there will
be $4,000 machines in the District
next year. Estimating the average
car at twenty-five horsepower, a tax
of SO cents per horsepower would
bring in: approximately $75o,000 a
year, instead of half that amount
now collected.
1t is believed that motorists would
not object to this amount of automo-
bile tax if the money is to be devoted
to upkeep of the roads.