Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-05
.S3O5,233,S42 PAID
IN 1928 GAS TAXES
Average Rate 3 CentS-MoSt
of Money Used for Road
Purposes.

Gasoline taxes amounting to $685.
1888 were collected on the sale of
10,178,344.771 gallons of motor fuel in
1928 in the District of Columbia and
the As States in which the tax was
effective during the whole or part OF
the year, according to figures compiled
by the Bureau of Public Roads, United
States Department of Agriculture.
The figures include the tax collected
and the gasoline consumed in Illinois
during the month of January only, ow-
ing to the fact that the law providing
for the States 2-cent tax was held in
valid on February "a, 1928.
None in New York.
Massachusetts, and New York were
the only States without a gasoline tax
in 1928. These two have since passed
laws providing in Massachusetts, for q
2-cent tax, effective January /, 1929,
and in New York for a 2-cent tax,
effective May l. AS the Illinois Legis-
lature has passed new law, which
provides for the collection of a 3-cent
tax, effective August /. that date will
mark the final adoption of the tax by
all States, 10 years after its adoption
by Oregon and Colorado, the pioneer
States.
Changes in the rate of taxation were
effected in four States during the year.
The New Hampshire tax was increased
from 3 cents to 4 cents q gallon on
the first day of the year. Virginia
added " cent on March 10. 1928,
making the new rate cents a gallon.
The Texas rate was reduced on Sep
TENDER l from to 2 cents a gallon,
and Mississippi raised its rate from 4
to 3 cents gallon on December last.
Average Tax Rate Cents.
Ia -
was cents, the highest was cents,
and the lowest was 2 cents. At the
close OF the year the rate in effect was
cents In z States, cents in II States,
312 cents in State, cents in IA
States, and 2 cents in IL States and
the District of Columbia.
Comparison Of the total number Of
vehicles registered with the total tax
collected in the States in which the tax
was effective throughout the year shows
an average revenue Of $500 per We
hicle.
After deduction of the costs Of col
lection, the entire net revenue was used
Tor rural road purposes in IS States.
In the remaining IS States and the
District Of Columbia a total of $IS,-
49l, ISL was devoted to other purposes.
In three States q portion of the COL
lectionS was used for public school pur-
poses. The January collections in Mi.
nois were held at the disposal of the
court. In five States portion of the
revenue went to cities for the CONSTRUCT
ton and repair Of streets, as did the
entire collection in the District of Co
lunbia.
Small Funds Deposited.
In two States small sums were de-
posted in the general funds of the
State. In Mississippi special taxes In
addition to those collected at the regu-
lar rate, were used for the construction
OF road protecting seawall. In New
Hampshire fourth of the net collec-
ton was used for the repair of flood
damage, and in one State, New Jersey.
small portion of the receipts was
turned over to the State Department of
Commerce and Navigation.
OF the portion of the total revenue
devoted to rural road purposes the
amount used for construction and
maintenance of State highways was
$2l ,O4O,59l; for construction and
maintenance of local roads the amount
was $57 ,380901, and the balance of
$17,619,995 was used for payments on
State and county road bonds.