Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-21

Weird Recommendation.

The fantastic report submitted by
the Subcommittee on Motor Licenses of
the Commissioners TRAFFIC Advisory
Council, proposing to double the gaso-
line tax, double the cost of registration
and license Of pleasure vehicles, increase
the cost of registering and licensing
commercial vehicles and boldly outlaw
ing solid-tire vehicles from the streets
Of the Capital, is indicative of nothing
so much as a supreme indifference to
important facts that must justify any
proposal to increase taxation as well as
blithe disregard of consequences that,
In this particular case, would follow.
The report was accepted by the full
committee by q vote of eight to six.
But 1t is to be trusted that the Com
missioners will consign it to a safe
resting place in the particular basket
reserved for such papers and that. the
report win exist merely as an example
Of the strange things apt to result when
a cheap and plentiful supply Of writing
materials is placed In the hands of per-
sons in no way accountable for spending
other peoples money.
The report bases a recommendation
for higher gasoline taxes on the fact
that this form of taxation has proved
popular in the States; that the taxes in
some Of the States are higher than the
tax in the District, though no attempt
II made to examine the per capita cost
Of the tax: that raising the tax here
two cents q gallon would encourage the
automobile industry to make more EN-
rient engines and stimulate the local
population of automobile users to con-
serve the Nations diminishing fuel
resources; that the tax is easy to
assess. easy to collect and would pro-
cure an additional amount Of money
from the periodically inclined tour
lists who visit their Capital in automo-
biles.
Not single paragraph, sentence or
even q word appears In the report as
attempted justification for increasing
the tax In washington, obviously be-
cause there is no such justification. The
streets are in good condition and rap
Idly improving. New streets are being
paved and old ones widened. The High
way Department is not suffering from a
possible deficit and there is no danger
that 1t win.
But after citing few generalities
concerning the national acceptance Of
tts gasoline tax 'as a revenue-raising
measure, and writing down the sum
total Of revenues that would accrue II
the tax were doubled here, the report
proceeds to propose that with this in
creased revenue the Highway Depart
ment, the trafic department and all the
street work could be supported from
the funds derived from automobile -own-
bng citizens. The only thing in connec-
ton with streets and trafic that the
committee did not propose should come
out Of the gasoline tax and automobile
license revenue was the salary of traffic
policemen. But this, possibly an over
sight, may be remedied later.
The committee naively suggests that
# the registration fee were doubled, the
pCKSO1ld1 pEOpCAIy bdA OAA dOGOAAODAiCo
should be eliminated. That proposal
was made in connection with the orig
inal gasoline tax legislation. But Con-
gress made the gas tax an additional
tax, not q substitute tax. Why the
subcommittee believes that Congress
would do otherwise now must be writ
ten down as one Of the things that
pass understanding.
The report is q cordial invitation 70
the Federal Government to withdraw
entirely from support of the great and
expensive street system it planned for
the Federal city, and to place the
expense of the streets and the agencies
that have to do with the streets on the
shoulders Of automobile owners.
Taken as q whole, the report nat
tra1ly raises the question whether those
who signed It read It and whether those
who voted for it understood what they
were supporting.