The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-05-24
GASOLINE TAX Is
KILLED BY SENATE
State Senate Votes Twenty-three to
Eight Against Two Cents
Gallon Tax on Gas.
(By Associated Press Leased Wirel

10y ASSOClaLeQ EFeSS Leased. WlTSJ
Madison, Wis.-The senate kill
ed 26 to s, the general committee
on highway bill proposing a grad
uated license fee on automobiles
based upon weight to raise eight
million dollars annually for con-
struction and maintenance of a
10000 mile trunk highway system.
This action followed indefinite
postponement of the committee
bill calling for a two cent gasoline
tax to raise three, million dollars
for support Of rural road con-
struction program.
BY its action the senate has
eliminated both of the highway
committee plans for raising high
way funds. The Polakowski bill,
calling for a gasoline tax and a
more moderate weight tax in addi-
ton to two per cent highway
privilege tax, remains for cOnsid-
Grafton in the senate, while the
assembly has the Caldwell bill
proposing a gasoline tax, a privi-
lege tax and the present $40 license
fee, still to be acted upon.
The weight tax plan killed by the
senate, would have established a
license fee ranging from $40 on the
lightest cars to $50 on the heayi-
est automobiles. The eight mill
lion dollars which this tax would
have raised was to be used to
construct and maintain the state
trunk highway system. 1t would
have taken the place of the present
$40 license fee and of mill taxes
for road building purposes.
Neither of the bills was spon-
sored by A. r. Hirst, state high
way engineer, the committee MEM
bers explained.
Many senators explained that thei
opposition to the committee tax pro
,osal was based on the plan of dis
,ribution of funds.
The committee gasoline tax bill kill
I'd by the upper house proposed t,
'eturn all revenue raised through it
to the counties of the stat
On the basis Of the ratio between rura
'oad mileage and state trunk highwa,
Mileage. These funds were to be spen
'or development of country roads, no
4 part of the trunk highway system.
Senator c. B. Casperson, defending
he bill, declared that the farmers o
Wisconsin, had for ten years pai
much of the cost of developing a stat
system for which tehy receiv
I'd no direct benefit. He said that tn
highway committee through its bill
proposed to return to these farmer
n the form of highway Improvement
some of the money that they have sen
% develop the trunk system.
Object to Distribution.
The system of distribution, Senate
Anton Kuckuk said, was unfair to al
IF the larger counties of the state
which would be called upon to contri
butte larfe proportion Of the revenu
and receive a small return in com
oarison.
Senator A. E. Carey, Edgerton, toll
The senate that he would oppose ever
gasoline tax measure on the groun
hat it was sales tax. To this Sen
ator John eastman, chairman of tn
committee, replied that.he ha
come to the senate with the opinio
that the gas tax was a sales tax.
But" he said, "this tax is not
sales tax, it is tax on road use. l
IS the only correct measure of roa
use, and is equitable"
He pointed out how thirty-one state
mad adopted the principle of the gaso
line tax within the past two years.
After several members had explaine
their reasons for opposing the meas
are on the ground of its system o
distribution of revenue, the following
lineup was shown:
For Killing-Barber, Bentley, Burke
Czerwinski, Carey, Gettelman, Heck
Hirsch, Kemp, Kuckuk, LANCE, Moran
Quick, Ridgway, Roethe
Severson, Smith, Stauden
Titus, Werden, White-23.
Against Killing Bilgrien, eastman
3aspcrson, Clark, Huber, Johnson, Nor
rs, Teasdale.-S.