Daily Kennebec journal., 1924-12-19

towns appropriations for state-aid
highway work.
For Permanent Gasoline Tax
Question was asked by Hiram W.
Kicker Of Poland Spring IL the three
cent gasoline tax contemplated would
be permanent. Chairman Peabody
answered that he believed the tax
| should be continuous, but that in
| 1925 the revenue would be used for
| construction.
| Mr.. Peabody stated that Of the au-
tomobiIe license money in 1923 out
/ OF every dollar IS 1-3 cents went for
J the interest on bonds; seven and a
| half cents sswent for retirement of
| bonds. four and half cents for ad-
| ministration OF the department, six
| and a half cents for the expenses in
relation TO the sale of registration
| plates. four and six tenths cents for
, the motor vehicle department, and
the balance toward highway main
/ tenance.
| The fact that the state must meet
/ the Federal money or lose il was
! rointed out by Mr. Peabody.
Six Years to Complete Program
Chairman Peabody answering a
| question by Chester G. Abbott a
Portland automobile dealer. stated
!: that il the state Highway Commiss-
!. ion had a free hand in spending the
I money the State road program could
| be completed in six years.
Explaining regarding the proposed
three cent gasoline tax he said that
the additional two cents would go
| for maintenance, the other cent to
! be divided as 1t is now. half for
maintenance and half for third class
highways.
Tourists' Cars in Maine
An interesting discussion then took
J place regarding the registration
I, charge that should be made on out
of the state cars coming into Maine,
the proposition that visiting cars
should be allowed to come without
Maine registration being advocated
by several Of the speakers. Mr.. Rick
| err declared that the advertising
| would be worth while that Maine has
no registration tax against tourists
cars.
A vote taken showed that the feel
ing was unanimous that Maine
should take this step: abolish the
registration fee for passenger cars
| coming from other states provided
that the three cent gasoline tax is
authorized by the coming legisla-
ttue.
| 9Ir. Peabody stated his opinion
that Massachusetts, now has recipro-
cal relatoisn so that il Maine should
take this step Maine cars going in
! to Massachusetts would not be OBJ
liged to secure registration in that
! state.
! Chief Engineer Sargent said that
he thought mast states had. provision
l AAav 4nnI la tntc
states.
John A. Leland of Dover -Foxcroft
said that in his opinion arrangements
should be made whereby the third
class road money should be taken
from other sources and the entire
three cents from the gasoline tax
should go into the maintenance fund.
Gas Tax in Other States
Mr.. Sargent declared that in a
number of states where the gasoline
ttax was collected, the amount of the
tax had been raised by the legisla
lures and in no case had the tax
been repealed. In certain states, the
rate per gallon had been raised
twice. =.
Chairman Peabody said that six
states now have a three-eent tax
on gasoline, one, state has Il four
cent tax. Is states have two-cent
itaX, and II states have tax of one
or one and half cents per gallon.
Frank W. Ball. secretary of state,
said the fees from the registration
of passenger cars this year amount
TO 81, ,175, ,SS4.41 for 100000 passenger
cars. or an average. of S11.2o for
each car. The sum OF S214 ,9oJ.G4 was
received this year from the reg
istration of 10000 trucks, or an aver
age of S14.J0 per truck. lie pointed
out that of the passenger cars reg
istered this year there were S134
Bucks, 1923 Cadillacs, 1904 Pack
ards and 4G.54G Fords.
Examination of Drivers
Chairman Peabody said that the
Highway Commission has realized
that something is wrong with the
system of licensing operators of mo-
tor vehicles, by which as it now
stands practically anybody can Sc
cure a drivers license regardless of
whether they have physical handi-
caps which would prevent them from
properly driving q car. He said that
he knew a case where a boy who
had fits was granted a license to
drive.
Chester Abbott OF Portland de-
clared that in his opinion if eX-
aminations for drivers are to be Civ
en- by the State, it should be made
permanent, so that applicants would
not have to go to the bother and eX-
pense Of taking the examination each
year. He suggested that to take care
OF the expense of giving these eX-
aminations the original license fee
should be made higher. perhaps by
adding So to the general fee.
). Taxation for Highways
Mr.. Abbott expressed the opinion
that the Maine highway program
will not be finished in six years.
pointing to the statement of Henry
Ford to the effect that the roads of
New England are too crooked and
too narrow. He presented the prop
osition that the bond retirement
money and the interest money
should be taken from general taxa
ton rather than from registration
fees.
1t was the opinion of Mr.. Peabody
that it would be impossible to do
this; that it would take more than
any one organization to get a bond
issue through and paid for by gen.
cral taxation.
Mr.. Kicker asserted that to change
our policy now would be a serious
matter and that he did not think
this legislature or any other can die
tate what the legislature will do 10
years from now.
'I believe that the burden should
be placed on the man who uses the
road" said Mr.. Kicker.
Mr.. Kicker spoke OF the high tax
now imposed on industries and said
that he hoped the meeting would