Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-24
In the Motor World
BY q. ADAMS HOWARD.

Bureau of Public Roads weighed
average, June 80, 1929. In pass
ing, it might be noted that the
approximate grand total Of con-
sumption of gasoline, including
Massachusetts, New York and five
months of Illinois, amounted to
$3.50, 100000 gallons for the first
half of the year. The total for
the year is expected to be around
13,000.000,000 gallons.
During the first half of 1928
New Hampshire increased it's tax
to 4 cents and Virginia its levy to
cents. At the November cleo
tons Louisiana went from to 4
cents per gallon in order to meet
highway bond issue costs. and
Oregon, the State which initiated
this type of legislation, increased
its charge from 3 to 5 cents for
the same reason. 1t is interesting
to note, however, that while seven
Statcs-NeW Mexico, Arkansas,
Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky,
Virginia and Oregon-noW assess a
scent tax, no State has gone be-
yond that amount, and there ap-
pears to be little evidence that
proposals for charges in excess of
this figure are receiving serious
consideration. AS a matter Of
fact, the trend in States where
tax returns are larger than in the
ones mentioned seems to be to
hold the amount around 3 cents
or less.
Wide Attention.
The comparative ease with
which these taxes have been voted
has naturally focused wide atten-
ton on them. Fiscal experts from
other countries have come here
10 study the several State statutes
and there is a worldwide trend
toward similar levieS, as is evil
denCed by recent enactmentS in
Great Britain, Brazil and Uruguay
and by the interest which Ger
man economists have taken i'll
the subject. 1t is not surprising,
moreover, that our own legiSla-
tors, constantly haraSSed as they
are by the demands for funds for
a variety OF purposes, should from
time to time be found advancing
suggestions for diversion of these
levieS to other than road uses, al
though most State laws Spe2ifi-
cally state that these funds can
only be used for road improve
ment. Thus far, however, these
proposals have met with little
favor on the part of the taXpay-
erS. While the diversion today OF
gas taxes from State and county
funds amounts to around $4,000
900 annually, an analysis of these
cases shows that only in three in
stances does the money go cut
side of road uses.
Funds Diverted.
In Florida something more than
$1,000,000 is devoted to public
schools and in a permanent build
ing fund, while in Texas about
81, 100000 has been diverted to q
free school fund. Georgia placed
about 100000 in its general fund
in 1923, and in the past has used
these moneys for the retirement
of railway bonds. The only other
instance of diversion occurs in
Mississippi, where gas funds have
been used to build a seawall to
protect a road, which might be in
terpreted as a use of funds for
highway purposes.
Among the suggestions heard
now in legislative halls for fur
Their distribution are plans for
further school building from gas
taxes, creation of airport faci!i-
ties and further contributions to
the general fund.
Usually public irritation at tax
es grows out of their collection.
In the case of the gasoline levy, it
is apparent from this survey that
as long as the rate is kept within
reasonable limits the sole ques-
ton will be in the uses to which
the tax is put.
Here is a case where the tax