The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-13
JEFFERSON LOSER ER BY GASOLINE LAW. SAY COUNTY HEADS
Tax Payments Almost Will Exceed Revenue, Claim. Law Not Yet in
 Effect.

ing by the 2-cent gasoline tax meas ure, passed by the legislature, have gone glimmering and the act bids fair to become a liability instead Of an asset to the county, according to members of the board of revenue. Monday members of the board stated the county used more than 21S,0oo gallons of gasoline in conducting its official business last year. Under the provisions of the act the county will have to expend an additional s4,3Se for gasoline and will receive from the state approximately ss,ooo if the fig ures of the proponents of the act are correct.
 The measure provides that tax of cents be collected on each gal Ion of gasoline sold in the state. This tax is to be divided equally be- tween the states general fund and the highway commission, which shall distribute its half among the 67 counties of the state. It is estimated that 60,000,000 gallons of gasoline are sold annually in the state. With 15,OO0,000 gallons sold in Jefferson county. Under the provisions or the act Jefferson county will pay into the state treasury approximately $300,000 a year for the privilege of receiving for road work sS,OO0, of which more than s4,ooO must be ex- pended to pay the tax on the gas oline used by the county's auto mobiles.
 Not only will Jefferson county re- nj n one one ne-hundreth. of the gasoline tax it pays but 1t is in actual danger of being compelled to expend more in the payment of the tax than it receives under the provisions of the act. Members of the board of rev enue point out that should the county add to its fleet of road trucks or un- dertake extensive road development work during the year the tax on the gasoline used would exceed the amount of money received from the state.
 Ball and Huey at Capital
 In an effort to place Jefferson county in a more favorable position under the act, D. c. Ball, president, and Thomas F. Huey. member of the board of revenue. went to Montgorn- cry during the closing days of the
 
 met with scant success.
 Proponents of the gasoline tax act as 1t now stands contend that Jef- ferson county will realize approx imately $15,000 annually under its terms, Mir. Ball said. It is believed that their figures on the amount of gasoline sold in the state are op- timistic. Mir. Ball declared that rev. enue from the act was being esti- mated at from sso0,ooo to $1.5oo.0O0
 Tt looks like the gasoline tax will become a liability instead of an asset, to Jefferson county" MT. Ball said Monday. He was supported by MT. Huey.
 The gasoline. tax was proposed originally as a means of raising funds for the construction and main tenance of roads. It was sponsored by@the state highway commission. The bill when first presented pro- vided that the cent tax should be divided equally between the county in which it was collected and tho highway commission. It was next amended to provide for the payment of all the money collected to the highway department. which should distribute it equally among the 67 counties of the state and finally CndHBeQ IO US llndA iOi WAlSh CaiiS for the payment of half the funds realized to the general fund and half to the road department for distribu- tion among the counties of the state.
 The act carries an emergency clause and becomes effective immedi- ately upon its approval by Gov. W. w.. Brandon Gasoline dealers will be- gin the collection of the tax upon notification by the secretary of state of the approval of the law.
 The method to be used by the gaso- line dealers in collecting the tax will be similar to the manner in which theatres collect federal amusement taxes, 1t is said. Gasoline will be sold at an established price plus 2 cents a gallon, Alabama state tax.
 T. E. Huey declared Monday night that the board of revenue would at tempt to save the county the expense of paying this tax when the legisla- ture meets in adjourned session in July. -e
 We will try to have the act amended so as to exempt counties and municipalities from payment of the tax" he said. Unless we can do this Jefferson county Will not profit in any measure by the imposi- tiOn of the tax"