Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-06
Rate by Mail-Payable in Advance.
An Other States ana Canada.
A Vicious Proposal.

Every so often q member of Congress,
searching for ways and means to in
fiict additional taxes upon the District,
hits upon plan which if carried to its
logical conclusion would soon result in
making the motorists as a class support
the city. Such a scheme has just been
proposed by Representative Frederick
Zihlman of Maryland, chairman of the
House District committee. Mr.. Zihlman,
according to press reports, would in
crease the two-cent gasoline tax in the
District 20 three cents and take one
axtn Of the revenue thus brought in
and apply it to park development. at
Nv my hope says the chairman of the
Mouse District committee, that the
park lands acquired by the District and
now lying undeveloped will be equipped
with roads and bride paths and other
improvements through the operation of
such legislation"
Seldom has q more vicious or dis
criminatory proposal been made. AS
we'll tax the motorist for the sewer sys-
TEN or the public building program in
the National Capital as to tax him for
park development. 1t is fundamental
principle that money derived from auto
mobile owners as a class should be used
for construction and maintenance Of
roads, signals and others items which
ait
pay as you ride" Is the basis for the
gasoline tax, and if gasoline tax monies
are used for any other purpose in any
State or city then the tax in that par
ticular section is unnecessary and
should be promptly repealed.
AS a matter OF fact, Washington never
wanted or needed the gas tax. Prior to
its establishment taxation of the local
motorists was SUFFICIENT for the needs
OF the city. Washington, however, was
compelled to accept the tax because
Maryland would not grant reciprocity
otherwise, and the acceptance of the
tax, due to last-minute changes in the
bill in Congress, cost District motorists
q million dollars additional year The
automobile driving fraternity of Wash
ington, however, regarded this imposi-
tion philosophically on the theory that
If Congress kept up its regular allot-
ment for street construction and main
tenance the additional revenue from the
gas tax would serve to augment the
fund to degree that would assure q
comprehensive yearly street program
And although Congress did not keep up
its appropriation the additional monies
have been adequate to provide the Ma
tional Capital with everything that it
needs in the way of well kept highways.
r Motorists of the District are perfectly
willing to pay their share for the con-
struction and repair of streets and
through the operators permit revenue
for the establishment and maintenance
Of automatic signals. Washington
motorists, however, are not willing and
should not be called upon to pay, as
class, for improvements in the National
Capital in which they can have no pos
sible interest as motorists. The argu-
ment that part of one-sixth Of the gas
tax money will be used for roads in the
parks holds no appeal to them. The
parks are Federal reservations. yet Mr..
Zihlman would insist that District mo-
florists should pay for them not only as
motorists, but as taxpayers in addition.
Roads in Federal parks should not
come out of gas tax funds and neither
should bride paths or other park de-
velopment. Car owners OF the city DO
not believe that any such principle can
be clothed with logic.
Motorists believe that money for
park development, water develop
ment, building development and all
other kinds of development, not
affecting them, should be paid for
by the people of the city as a whole,
including themselves as general tax
payers. And finally, the motorists Of
the city resent attempts of Maryland
members of Congress to plaster upon
them additional gasoline tax burdens
simply to protect Maryland dealers in
gasoline who are situated near the bor-
der and who undoubtedly lose some
business on account of the lower cost of
gasoline in the District.