Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1923-01-12

dustry in Virginia, what is the mud
tax that we pay? 1t is chiefly the tax
that the farmer pays in hauling his
produce through the mud to the mar
ketS, because in order to live he must
sell his products, and in order to sell
he must deliver them. 1t is the tax
he must pay in going through the
mud to his church and school house.
Trunk roads are highly important
and desirable, yet the improvement of
the farm to market roads not now in
lcluded in the state system cannot be
ignored. Just as a chain is as strong
as its weakest link, so is a road only
as good as the worst mud-hole and
isteepest hill. The many roads not in
the state highway system can only be
aided by the state in two ways!
either by increasing the present state
aid or by gradually Incorporating
these roads in the state system. The
bond issue plan, after the bonds are
expended, shuts the door to additions
to the state system, as for 81 years the
&c gasoline tax must be dedicated to
the interest and redemption of the
bonds, which includes the payment of
$45, 656,000 interest.
Cost OF Roads.
The State Highway Department has
just announced that exceedingly low
bids have been received and 8.81 miles /
of concrete road have been contract
ed between Fredericksburg and Spot |
| sylyania Court House at cost of /
$336,127.7 for the road and $11,557.O4
for bridges, a total of nearly $3.50, 900 |
for not quite nine miles. At this |
"low'' cost of nearly $4,000 per mile, |
the state system would cost $120,0 |
600 to complete. If bonds are issued |
for this $4,000 per mile road and re- |
| tired in 81 years at IL per cent, the (
simple interest will be $500 per mile |
annually, and s55,S00 per mile for a |
period of 81 years, making a total cost !
of 1000 per mile This assumes
that roads are permanent, which is /
not correct, and therefore an addition |
al charge should be added for deteri- |
Grafton. On this basis, assuming a |
maintenance charge of $500 per mile !
and an interest charge of $1,000 per |
mile, the total maintenance and inter- |
| est of the state system would be S. |
100000 annually
Exemption For Gasoline Not Used For |
Road Purposes. !.
A substantial tax on gasoline is a !
substitute for toll for all motor traf-'
| fic on public roads, but is a hardship !
for gasoline used on the water, on /
! the farms, and for other than road /
purposes. l favor an exemption for /
the tax on gasoline used for other /
in i'm Ipif
Maryland law, which has been in sat !
| isfactory operation for some time. |
| Under date of December 81, 1922, John |
| NJ Mackall, Chairman of the State /
Roads Commission of Maryland, an
swers my inquiry regarding the oper-
alton of the refund plan in Maryland +,
as follows:
"Our refunds so far have amounted !
| to less than l per cent of the total
sales, so we are confident there is no
abuse of it, and on the other hand,
| feel that a number of persons who are
justly entitled to the rebate are not
taking advantage of it,
Tax May Not Be Fully Added to Case
line Price.
1t is probable that the taxpayers
will not be required to pay gasoline
tax in full. AS in other states the gas
oline tax is reported as being absorb
ed by the oil companies. Under date
of December %, 1922, l am in receipt
of rIre f9ll9HF eetter Fl from Mr.. III
Page, Chairman of the State Highway
Commission of North Carolina, in !
| which he says:
II am not sure that the wholesalers !
do not add this one cent to their price (
to the distributors in North Carolina |
l am, however, confident, because of !
observation, that gasoline is selling |
today along the North Carolina-Vir- |
ginia border for less in North Caro- |
| lima than it is in Virginia 1t would, |
therefore, seem that the ultimate pur- i
chaser does not pay more on account |
of the tax"
Position OF Valley Representatives.
Because of the advocacy of a gaso- |
| line tax in lieu of bond issues, GER
| tain proponentssof the bond issue have
! seen fit. as a part of their propagan- !
da, to question the motives of those
who differ with them, and especially
of those representing the Valley of
| Virginia, by claiming that because the
/ Valley is better supplied with roads
than other sections, that they view the
.question from a narrow and selfish
Istandpoint. 1t is the first time that
/ l heard that section which furnished
men for Stonewall Jackson's Brigade
accused. of a want of patriotism. Our
willingness to support a tax on gaso-
line absolves up from this charge, be-
cause there are as many automobiles
in the Valley of Virginia as in other
rural sections of the state, and the
residents of the Valley will pay their
! full proportion of this tax.
| During my service in the State Sen
ate have consistently advocated pro-
gressive road legislation. l had the
honor to serve as member of the
Legislative committee which recommen-
ided the present State Highway System,
and was one of the patrons of the bill
creating this system. / have support
ed the direct taxes that have been
dedicated to the construction and
maintenance of good roads.
All Roads In State System VIII Be
Maintained.
In the above figures / have not in |
cluded amount available for mainten, |
lance Virginia has wisely dedicated |
4 the proceeds of the automobile license
Itax for maintenance, and any surplus
for construction. In 1922 the income |
from this source was $2,500,000, an in
crease of % per cent over 1921. In
1923 this fund should be nearly 49,
1000, 1000. This provides a fund of $3.50
yearly for every mile in the state sys-
tenn. This fund will constantly in
crease and should not only efficiently
maintain the present system, but with |
economical management a balance |
should be available for construction.
Effective now, the State Highway i
department will maintain, as soon as |
1.-THE weather permits, every mile of i
road in the state system. This means |
that all roads will be placed in the
best possible condition for travel I'M /
til constructed, and great improve
ment can be expected in the 1000
miles Of state roads not previously
accented for maintenance nv tha bioh