Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-11-15
Reports $4,000
Saving in Collection
OF State Gasoline Tax

Through the activities of inVeSti-
gators from the State Auditors
office, who cooperated with the seal
ers of weights and measures, more
than $4,000 has been saved to the
State of Maine in the period follow
ing June, 1925, at which time State
Auditor Ebert ID. Hayford ruled
that all persons dealing in gasoline
should be taxed for what gas they
had on hand on July 18th, when the
law regarding the gas tax was
changed, the tax being increased
from l cent to 3 cents per gallon.
Blank forms were sent to all local
sealers of weights and measures, on
which all dealers were required to
make returns of the amount of gaso-
line on hand July 11th. 1t is be-
lieved that in most cases these re-
turns were made out fairly, and the
State auditor said on Saturday:
1--WE feel that the collections made,
and those still coming in, represent
a very large proportion of the gaso-
line dealers of the State, and that
they gave us an honest estimate of
the amount of gas in their tanks on
the 11th of July"
Mr.. Hayford added that in few
cases the law which exempts gaso-
line purchased for use in motor
boats, tractors, and several forms of
internal combustion engines other
than automobiles from paying more
than the / cent tax had resulted in
applications for refunds which were
not justifiable, at the time the
change in the tax went into effect.
He explained that persons who had
purchased gasoline prior to July IL,
paying the | cent tax. could apply
for the 2 cent refund payable on
gas purchased after July II, thus
securing a cent rebate to which
they were not entitled. This was
applied for in a few cases, but l
think we avoided making such re-
funds in about every instance" he
said.
Ansel Reeves of the State auditors
department and State Detective
Louis LaChance, who was assigned
to duty with the State auditors de-
partment from the Office of the at
torney general, have been the two
agents most actively engaged in the
work of checking up on gasoline tax
collections. Mr.. Reeves stated Sat
urday forenoon that the provision
in the law requiring persons to send
in their invoice slips for refunds
within 90 days of the purchase of
the gasoline on which such refunds
are required, is causing some con-
fusion at present.
MANY persons, particularly nom
residents, who are not sufficiently
familiar with our law, feel that they
can save us work by holding such
refund slips until the end of the
summer season, and then sending
them to this Office in a bunch said
Mr.. Reeves. "As the law now stands,
we cannot pay these slips If more
than the 80 days have elapsed, and
the persons who have held their slips
longer than this period naturally feel
that il endeavoring to help us out
they have been in a way defrauded
of something that belongs to them.
We have letters in this Office from
several parties who have lost small
sums of money in this manner"
Mr.. Reeves expressed the opinion
that this matter might be taken up
at the coming session of the Legis-
lature. as several parties affected by
the law have indicated their inten-
ton of attempting to have the pres
ent law amended or otherwise modi-
fed to take care of this situation.