The Washington times., 1925-08-26

lectlcuC avenue Tor the display Oh
ray from the show rooms at 1912
vention, police protection, the ma
tional Defense, the postal service,
living and distribution costs.
Second: Benefits to definite
groups, such as agriculture, manu-
facture, labor, railroads, mining,
forestry and waterways.
Third: Benefits to property
served.
Fourth: Benefits to the road
users.
All of these elements receive great
benefits from highway Improvement
and naturally should be called upon
| to pay their fair share of all the
costs Of such highway development
In general, our policy has been
| to ask the State to budget the cost
| of it's highway systems and the
motor user be taxed an amount
| sufficient to pay for the malnte-
nance, and in some cases, even
| construction and reconstruction OF
the roads he Nses.
! In certain States where the motor
vehicle income is more than sufft-
, cient to meet maintenance cost or
! highways OF general motor use
| without undue burden to the indi-
Vidual motorist, it may be found
| advisable to use such surplus for
the purpose of defraying part OF the
costs of bond issues to expedite
construction of economically deslr-
able motor highways.
We are not committed 20 any
particular form of taxation, whether
based on horsepower, weight or
| gasoline consumption. AT present
| forty four States have gasoline
| taxes. Eight new ones have come
in since January l. leaving only
Massachusetts,, New Jersey, New
York and Illinois without such
tax.
HORSEPOWER indicates speed on
the highway; weight indicates wear
and gasoline consumption indicates
the measure of the use of the high
| way.
i - Highway Finance.
With reference to finance, Ions
term serial bonds, we believe, are
| proper for States in the initial
stages Of construction, with gradua'
tons down to a pay-as-you-go basis
for States where original construc'
! ton is completed or nearly so.
contribution is that at no time shall
1t constitute an undue burden upon
him. No arbitrary formula Is laid
down other than this. In states
where cars are few, valuation low
and mileage high, such funds are
approved for maintenance purposes
only on main State roads. From
this point the graduations are up,
ward until the user is paying all
| maintenance charges and reason
able share of construction charges
in many of the States.
Our platform recommends that nc
special motor taxes shall be useo
for any purpose other than road De-
velopment. We desire that taxes
shall be collected only by the state
We make the rolling stock While
you provide the roadbed. Let US
each try to perform our job at the
lowest possible cost to the con
sumner. Your research and other
activities are bringing about oetteI
roads for less money.
The very foundation of the auto
mobile industry in which you are
interested has been to make the
lest possible car at the lowest pos
rible cost. so as to give US the
broadcast markets.
People wonder why the automo
bile industry continues to grow.
Causes Of Growth.
Aside from the fact that the
motor car is an article of universal
desire, the manufacturers have en-
deavored to provide for itS purchase
and use at the lowest POSSIBLE ex
pense.
The 1913 dollar today buys Sill
of automobile; $1.03 of gasoline anc
$1.20 OF tires, and everyone vii
agree that both motor cars and
tires are better than ever
We have a common problem anC
we ought to combine our efforts
so that everyone. wether he be III
the automobile industry, the cement
industry or any other industry, VIII
appreciate the Importance of good
highways.
We often hear of the Eaturatior
point. This appears to be not &C
much a question as to the number
of people that can own motor We
| hicles as the question Of streets
and highways where they can be
used efficiently.
We are now making more thar
thirty.ono miles Of automobiles every
day, with indications that this year,
production will be at least equal t.
the 5000 ,00G OF last year.
Exports are taking up about i:
per cent, almost 100000 cars goinl
last year to ia different countries
More than $4,000 went to Australi;
last year.
Trucks and husses are very
much ON the increase. They mr.,
allies. and not competitors, OF th'
rroHoy~ and the railroads. Mann
arc replacing short haul lines au'
limo. That carried a small amour.