Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-21

Boosting Automobile Taxes.


There are q number of very sound
reasons against the proposal to increase
gasoline and motor vehicle registration
fees in order to finance all street ex-
tension and maintenance work out of
the proceeds.
The principle of showing this costly
item Of municipal expense upon the
shoulders of class Of the tax-paying
public is unsound and vicious in itself.
1t becomes even more negotiable when
consideration is given to the fact that
the Government will not contribute a
penny to the streets, although it is de-
signer, owner and one of the principal
users of a royal system of streets and
avenues laid out in the beginning as a
magnificent feature of a magnificent
city. but never planned for the mere
unitarian needs of rather small mu-
nicipality Of limited sources of revenue.
The principle of working good horse
TO death and taking disproportionate
amounts from automobile and gasoline
taxation to finance State highways is
already causing condemnation by ex-
perts in taxation and economists gen
orally. But the States, as far as they
have gone in this respect, have never
dreamed Of going to the lengths pro-
posed by our tax manipulating experts
on Capitol Hlll. For the calendar year
1929, the total income for State high
ways in the United States was $751;
S07.o3a. OF this amount something
over half - $685., $3.50, $50 - represented
revenue from automobile and gasoline
taxation. The remainder was made up
from general and miscellaneous reve-
nues. bonds, ETC., and included $77.572.-
6sl from the Federal Government.
In this connection, the Federal Gov
eminent has made available to the
States for 1881, 1882 and 1888. the sum
OF $I25.o00,000 for each of these years,
to be expended on the flfty-f1fty prin-
cipie for highways. There is now before
Congress q bill to make an additional
1000 900 available to the States for
emergency aid in the form of highway
funds. Yet the Federal Government,
according to the plan now considered
by q committee crsated primarily to
nix the fair amount Of Federal partici-,
patton in meeting expenses Of the
Federal City. would withdraw all aid
from the upkeep Of its own expensive
street system.
As in the case Of the water system,
which the Federal Government began
to build and then steadily diminished
its proportionate contribution until it
could withdraw entirely and foist the
burdens for building and maintenance
to the shoulders of real estate owners
and water-users in the District. the
street planning and street owning Fed
eral Government would, according to
the plan proposed. repeat the process
in connection with street, highway and
bridge building operations in the Cap
ital. BY creating and setting aside a
number Of special funds" such as the
water fund and gasoline tax fund to
which it contributes nothing, the Fed
eral Government would obviously tighten
the burdens Mr. Simmons naively
states ton the general fund of the
District TO which it contributes.
The opposition to the increase in
gas or automobile tax rates in the
District may we'll be founded on an
objection to increasing a total tax
burden that is already shown to be
relatively heavy. There is no occasion,
no justification, to increase it. But if
the Federal Government would increase
its own contribution in proportion to
the increased payments demanded from
automobile owners or users in the Dis
trict, and abandon the unfair procedure
Of regarding special funds" such as the
gasoline tax as absolving it from any
financial responsibility, an increase in
the levies proposed would bring min
imum Of protest.
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