Evening star., 1925-10-04
GAS TAX IS GAINING
/ IN STATES FAVOR
All But Four Now Use It to
Raise Road Funds-Car
| Registrations Increase.

= An increase in motor vehicle regis
z. tration and growing popularity of a
y gasoline tax as a source of funds for
g report just completed by the United
:. States Bureau of Public Roads.
:, Registration of motor vehicles
:. throughout the country during the
!. first six months of this year totaled
. IL, ,r1S, ,109, an increase of 1879 per cent
:. over the same period of last year. To
: arrive at the tota, number of vehicles
=, In use, however. there must be added
- 70.200 official cars owned by States on
which no fees were paid.
:, Gas Tax S6O.1OS.13i.
= Gasoline tax collections in A States
and the District of Columbia amount
ed to S60,10S734 during the first half
of 1926 OF this sum S53Sl4,.40 is
applicable to road work. The District
of Columbia paid $3.50 ,39l. an amount
exceeding the total sum paid by IL of
the States. Taxes We're less than
$500. 900 in Delaware. Idaho. Maine,
Montana, Nevada. New Hampshire,
New Mexico. North Dakota, Rhode
Island. Vermont and Wyoming.
Gross receipts from registration
fees, licenses, permits and similar
charges amounted to S226 S99 ,S0I for
the entire Nation. OF this sum. SlS3,-
7S0.371 IS, applicable to road work to
be done under the supervision of the
State highway departments. Adding
that part of the gasoline tax collec-
tions which is TO be used in road
work, the total sum made available
for that purpose throughout the coun-
try is $237,594,6ll.
Alabama's Gain Highest.
Four States reported an unusually
high increase in automobile registra-
ton since the first of the year. In
Alabama motor vehicles increased 53.6
per cent. Florida reported an increase
of Al per cent, Oklahoma 35.9 per
cent, and Mississippi 32.6 per cent
over the first six months of 1924.
Total registration includes 1888 ,6i1
passenger cars, 2.114.150 trucks and
1882 taXicabs. busses and cars for
hire. AS only 20 States register public
vehicles separately, taXicabS. buSSeS
and other hired cars in the remaining
States are included under the two
large claSsificationS.
The District of Columbia reported
62,427 motor vehicles registered. This
number exceeds the eight States of
Arizona, Delaware. Idaho, Nevada,
New Hampshire. Utah, Vermont and
Wyoming.
New York State leads the Nation
Will l,fUf,OOO CdIS et NdiI-
fornia is second with 1.311,S25 Ohio
reported the third largest registration
of 1892 900. Registration in Pennsyi-
Vania totaled 1205,2S and in Illinois
1,1o3.0S4. Maryland registered 2oS,33S
vehicles and Virginia 225,5S9.
Nine States adopted a gasoline tax
as a source of revenue during the first
half of 1925. At the present time. the
report states, Illinois, Massachusetts.
New Jersey and New York are the
only States which do not impose the
tax. Nevada doubled its tax rate
July l last, increasing it from to 4
cents a gallon. West Virginia in
creased the rate from cents to 312
cents.
Tax Cents a Gallon.
South Carolina had the highest rate
Of cents a gallon July l. which yield
ed S1,5S3,910, large sum as compared
with the much larger State of Penn
sylvania, which reported 81 4.657.752 col
iected at a rate of , cents gallon.
North Carolina and Nevada had d
t-cent rate in effect July !. The rate
was cents in II States, 212 cents in
] State, 2 cents in % States and l cent
In States at the beginning of the
second half of the year. =
The total motor vehicle registration