The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-06-03

issues amount 10 approximately
S496, 100000. Recent county issues
amount to about $500. 900, 900. This
money will be spread over a period
of years.
In all of the States the revenue.
derived from the registration OF
motor vehicles, which now amount
to about 1922 100000 a year, IS
used in whole or in art for State
or State-aid road purposes.
In twenty-eight States the net
receipts from registrations are
utilized by the State highway de-
partments, mainly for the main
tenance Of State and Federal aid
roads. From % to rs per cent OF
the registration receiUts are re-
tanned or returned to the counties
or municipalities in twenty States.
In some cases this money is judi
iciously expended, mainly for main
tenance Of the more important
roads, but as d general rule money
thus returned or retained Is vast
ed
The total amount available to
the States from this source for
1922 will be approximately $685.
100000, exclusive of that portion
of these funds which is returned
or retained by the counties and
municipalities from which the tax
es are collected. This IS an increase
of about $12,000,000 over last
years figures.
Personal property taxes, amount
ing to about $75,000,000 year,
are levied against automobiles in
thirty-eight States, but this money
is retained b ythe municipalities
and counties collecting it for gen.
eral expenses and is lost to road i'm
provement except in so far as local
funds are drawn upon for that
purpose.
During 1921 there were only
four States is which a gasoline tax
was collected. There are now fiji
teen States collecting a gasoline
tax and from this source the APP
proximate receipts will amount to
about $12,500,000 in 1922. This tax
is not in lieu of but in addition to
other motor-vehicle taxes.
A new development in the gaso-
linetax situation has grown out of
a suggestion made in the State of
Washington last fall. In view Of
the contention of car owners that
a gasoline tax constitutes an extra
tax burden, the suggestion was
made that the license fee for mo-
tor cars be reduced to nominal
sum and that pasoline tax be
levied which would be equivalent
to the registration fee, thus plac-
ing the tax burden of the automo-
bile in proportion to its use of the
highways. By this plan, it was sug-
gested that the registration fee
could be reduced to a minimum,
the charge made being barely suf-
ficient to cover the cost of license
plates and registration. 1t was also
suggested that if this plan were
adopted it would eliminate the vex-
alton problem of duplicating regis
trations between States.
This plan of gasoline taxatiot
has been embodied in two laws rcd
Gently passed by the Legislature of
Maryland. One law provides for .
tax of l cent a gallon for a pre-
liminary period in order to make
up deficiency in the State MAIN
tenance fund and to determine thu
amount of money which it will bk
possible to collect FROM this sourck
after which according to the second
law. a tax of cents gallon viii
be levied and the horsepower ta4
reduced by a corresponding
amount. The second law also carr
lies a proviso that when the 2-cent
rate goes into effect the Governor
may arrange for complete recipror
CITY with the District of Columbia
There is an appalling lack of uni
formity in motor-vehicle taxation
in the different States, and, conse-
quently, an urgent need for some
simple form of single taxation
which will be less burdensome and
obnoxious to the taxpayer and less
troublesome and expensive to the
tax collector; and at the same time
a tax will render fair and Just re-
turn to the public treasury in ~,o-
portion to the service rendered by
the highways.