Evening star., 1925-09-18
20 IMPORTANT HIGHWAYS MADE
NEW WITH GASOLINE TAX FUNDS
Revenue Comes to Rescue just as Streets Began TO
Break Under Enormous Traffic Burden-Law
Has Proved of Great Value

on plecemaal. very different from what
would have been the case had the
entire amount been available at the
beginning Of the fiscal year. as is the
case with all other appropriations.
46 Projects Approved.
In the appropriation bill OF March
3. 1928. which was the second year
OF operation OF this gasoline tax. Con
kress provided for some 46 items Of
street improvement at an aggregate
cost OF fS12, 900. In undertaking these
projects the situation with regard TO
available funds was practically iden-
ticsl with that in the preceding year.
Roth annual appropriations for
street work chargea BILE TO the "gaso-
line tax road and street fund which
is the official legal title. provided that
the work Of paving and repaving done
from the fund should he assessed
against the arutting property. the
same as like improvement are assess
able under any other fund. and fur
ther provided thst when such assess
ments for work paid for from the
fund were collected they should he
credited to the gas tax fund and he
come availa BILE for subsequent use or
reappropristion.
These assessments are provided for
by the so-called Borls and amendment
which makes on.-hslf of the cost of
paving or repa wing a roadway or one
half the cost OF setting curb assess
able against the abuttins property,
with certain exemptions from the as
sessabie coat in respect 10 the paving
OF street Intersections and the paving
Of roadways in excess of 80 feet in
width.
Returns Come In Late.
During tn. second wear ~ the oper-
alton of the gasoline tax fund the
balance svaiIa BILE for expenditure a
any time will he materially augment
ed by this class Of collections. These
returns come In anyway from six
months To three wears after the work
has been completed and paid for ont
of the gasoline tax fund.
All of the items Of street improve
ment specified by Congress TO be
done from the gasoline tax fund dur
ing tho two years-some so in ALL
with the exception OF about half
dozen are either completed or are
under contract and nearing compl.
ton Those half dozen that have
been withheld are delayed on account
Of lack OF funds SUFFICIENT 10 Justify
undertaking them.
tion that the fscal wear 1926 started
only on July last and II is now only
September. so II is very Avident that
The work go1 fyinG start and has
NOT been allowed to lag unduly.
During the past Summer the
monthly collections under The gaso-
line tax have shorn pronounced
increase over those Of the proceeding
wear and when the collections Un-
der the assessments provided for by
The Rorland amendment begin 10
come in at an active rate IL is an
ticips ed that there will be a con-
siderab bly, larger balance in the fund.
This Will he reflected In the budget
for the next fscal year. 1927. which
viii provide for a sum about equal
10 what ia expected 10 he collected
during the coming iscsl year.
But. the resurfa cling under the
gasoline tax really fixes M rela-
lively small areS of street surface "a
compared with the total area that is
constantly growing on account Of
new streets being opened.