Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-12-09
TEXAS DAILY PRESS LEAGUE
Foreign Advertising Representatives


Those who have been predicting that the federal
government would materially curtail its highway aid
Program after this year. cannot find much consolation
in the message Of President Coolidge to congress. J..
Il. Wees, president Of the American Motorists AssOcia-
ton, has pronounced the message "the greatest single
Plea ever made for good roads" and officials of vari-
Gus highway associations throughout the United States
Have hailed the presidents message as indicating ad-
rainistration support for a more extensive road pro-
gram.
President Wees Of the American Motorists Asso-
cation calls attention to the fact that five times in
tie message the president touches on the subject of
s4od roads. After stressing their need as an adjunct
10 national defense and flood control. the president de-
vsted one separate section to good roads, declaring
that the Importance and benefit Of good roads is
more and more coming to be appreciated"
Enlarging upon the public demand for highway
Improvement and the benefits which will accrue to the
nation as a whole. the president took up the interna-
tbnal highway situation. stating that while the ad-
Vintage Of having good roads is very large, the desire
for improved highways is not limited to our own eoun-
tE. It should and does include all the western hem
isbhere. The national government has been making
LIBERAL contributions to encourage their construction.
The national tax on automobiles is now nearly suffi-
Gent 20 meet this outlay"
= One point in controversy between the president
AID the automobile manufacturers and owners Of the
country is the Q per cent excise tax on automobiles.
The president indicates in his message that this should
BE maintained in order to finance the highway build
ing program, but the motorist associations disagree
With the chief executive on that point. They assert
the tax should have been eliminated long ago, and that
there is no relation between excise taxes on automo-
bees and good reads.
The assertion Of President Coolidge that this
tax is very small. and on low-priced cars is not more
titan 81 or So each year" indicates that he feels the
tK is fully justified. As a matter OF fact most OF
these automobile owners who have given the matter
consideration are inclined 10 agree with the president.
50 long as the federal government is carrying out a
psogressive policy in connection with highway inn
Movement, automobile owners have no just cause to
complain il required to pay a special tax. That tax
aad much more is being returned to them IN the form
OF improved highways which materially reduce the cost
% car operation and effect a saving for the individual
ndptorist far greater than the small sum he is required
"a pay annually as excise tax. It is true that this tax
dges not 60 directly TO the highway fund; but that Is
iAmater.al. II all goes to the national treasury from
which the highway funds are drawn. and il does not
matter whether it goes there as highway funds or for
some other purpose.
II congress will carry out the policies suggested
~ the president in the adoption Of a highway pro-
gsam for the coming year. the measure will be one Of
tie most popular ever presented in congress. and will
completely eliminate any objection which may other
wise be voiced 20 maintenance OF the present 3 per
c@t excise tax on automobiles.