Evening star., 1931-06-07

rate Of interest from the purchasers %
the bonds.
The large sums involved In highway
expenditures and tho broad training
and experience required In handling
them demand that political patronage
be eliminated In all highway admins
tration. Stable organizations and pol
icies are essential to the orderly prog
ress of the highway program. This
applies also to the highway work Of
any county or other political subdivision
Of State.
To insure uniformity and economy
all expenditures on highways should be
under adequate engineering and eco
nomic supervision.
Each State or political subdivision
should have . uniform, adequate and
informing system Of accounting. Re
ports showing receipts and expenditures
should be issued that can be understood
and are comparable throughout the
State and with other States.
The order, type and extent Of I'M
provement for each class and for tn
diVidual projects should depend upon
the relative traffic requirements. pres
ent and early future.
When the primary system Of high
ways has reached an advanced state Of
improvement, in keeping with trafic,
added only when funds are available
for the maintenance. construction and
reconstruction of the existing system
and the additions.
Whenever State funds are used in
the improvement Of secondary highways
or on streets in cities over which trunk
highway trafic Is routed. such funds
| should be under direct supervision OF
the highway department.
Toll bridges should be built only
when 1t is impossible 10 finance them
by any ether method. II toll bridges
are built. the construction should be
financed by the State or political sub
division thereof and the bridges made
free az soon as the financial obligations
| Of interest and original investments are
paid.
Distribution Of Costs.
The cost Of building and maintaining
adequate systems of highways should
be distributed in an equitable relation
TO the benefits derived. These may be
summarized Is follows: (a) Dement'S to
society in general, such as influence on
education, recreation. health, IRE pre-
vention, police protection, the national
defense, the postal service. living and
distribution costs; (b) BENEFITS 10 definite
groups. such as agriculture. manufae-
and waterways: ((e) benefits TO property
served; Id benefits to the road user.
The wide variance in valuation, rate
| of taxes, number Of motor vehicles in
use, and the status of highway devel-
! opment in the several States prevent
the adoption Of any fixed formula as
to the proportion Of the total costs Of
| highways of general use which should
be paid for from motor vehicle funds.
] l1Ng Ikv1a
| principles may be set forth: (a) In
States where the income from motor
| vehicles Is insufficient to meet all Of
the maintenance costs OF highways OF
| general motor use without undue bur-
den to the individual motortSt, such
funds should be applied nrst to the
maintenance OF interstate and State
highway systems; (b) in States where
the income from motor vehicles Is SUI
ficient TO meet all maintenance costs OF
individual motorists, any surplus should
be used for this class of highway con-
structton, reconstruction and admins
! tration costs; (c) in those States where
the motor vehicle income Is more than
| sufficient to meet maintenance costs OF
! highways Of general motor use without
! undue burden to the individual motor
! ist, 1t may be found advisable TO use
such surplus for the purpose Of defray-
ing all or part OF the cost OF pon0
issues TO expedite construction OF eco
nomically desirable motor highwayA
Taxes and ColIecgions.
A fixed charge should be made for
each class and weight Of motor vehicle
in the form of . motor vehicle icenSe
fee in lieu of all personal property
taxes or in the form Of q combination
motor vehicle license fee and personal
property tax. The total rate Of such .
tax, however, as well as the gasoline tax,
which is not to be In lieu Of q motor
vehicle tax or . personal property tax,
should be a. uniform in rate in the sew
eral States as practical and consistent
with the constitutions, road bond obl-
cations or road needs.
The State should be the sole agency
levying special taxes upon the motor
vehicle or the highway user.
All motor vehicle funds, including
personal property taxes, II any, Should
be used for highway purposes.