Evening star., 1924-12-11
GAS TAX RETURNS
HELD NORMAL HERE
Assessors Estimate Is
S750,OOO, U. S. Roads Bu-
reau $3.50, 900 Annually.

While a newly appointed subcom-
mittee Of the House District commit
tee was preparing TO take up imme-
diately an investigation of the al
legged shortage in gasoline tax funds
in the District. two agencies directly
and officially interested in compilation
of figures bearing on gasoline tax
returns in Washington, announced
that the funds returned from gasoline
tax collections are fully up TO what
they were expected to be.
Chairman Reed of the House Dis
trict committee today announced the
appointment of a subcommittee to in
yestigate the gasoline tax situation
with Representative Frederick y. Zihl-
man of Maryland. prime mover in the
passage of the gasoline tax bill. as
chairman. Other members Of the sub
committee are Representatives Oscar Z.
Keller Of Minnesota, who has had eX-
perience in his own State with smi-
lar tax: Representative Clarence Nc
Leod OF Michigan. Representative AL
lard H. GaSque of South Carolina and
Representative William g. Hammer
of North Carolina. Appointment OF
the subcommittee was ordered at a
meeting of the House District COM
mittee yesterday.
Total About 100000
From two agencies, one in the Dis
trict government and the other a
branch of the Federal Government
came confirmation today that the to-
tai tax revenue from a twO-cent tax
on sales of gasoline in the District
would not go over $3.50, 900. based on
registration of $4,000 motor cars,
or a few hundred less
Assessor William p. Richards of
the District, who keeps the records
of gasoline tax collections. said there
are about $1,000 locally owned auto
mobiles. To this estimate he added
an allowance of 10000 for machines
temporarily in the city. Estimating <
that each car uses 500 gallons of gas
a year. the tax would yield $3.50, 600
a year, which. he said. is about the
sum the District is actually collecting.
More concrete figures were obtained
from the Bureau of Public Roads of
the Department of Agriculture, which
gathers figures on gasoline consump-
ton and tax returns every six
months.
L. :. Bureau Estimate.
The Public Roads Bureau placed
the annual return in Washington
from the two-cent tax on gasoline at
$3.50. 0C0 a year, based on an annual
consumption rate of between 37,000,-
900 and 40.00O,000 gallons, the con-
sumption rate being based on actual
figures submitted by Wade II. Coombs,
District superintendent of licenses.
The figures were obtained by carry
ing out for the year the actual con-
sumption figures and gas tax returns
for the So days beginning May "a
and ending June 80, when they be-
came available. The gasoline tax in
the District of Columbia became ef-
fective May "a.
on June 80. 1924, there was a grand
total of 72,954 motor vehicles regis
tered in the District. For the 50
days ended June 80 the District re-
ceiyed a gross total of sS3,39171. in
dicating a rate of consumption for
the approximately $4,000 automobiles
of 100000 gallons for the 3S-day
period, or at the rate of l09.SOO GAL
Ions per day.
Estimates are Different.
Based on the number of cars ac-
tually registered, this, according to
the Public Roads Bureau, would max
a daily average consumption of Isl
gallons per car, or an average weekly
consumption of 1057 gallons per car.
Mr.. Zihlman said the figures he had
before him showed an average con-
sumption of but I gallons per week.
based on a total registration of 100. :