Evening star., 1931-12-30
GAS TAX INCREASE
HIT BY AUTO|STS
A. A. Committee Holds Plan
"Most 0bnoxious"-W
Levy Favored.
Continued From First Page)

enumeration Of the principles outlined
by the committee.
The committee points out that any
intelligent approach to proposal to
increase or change the amount of motor
vehicle taxation In the District Of Co.
lumbia must be based on three i'm
portant factors: The amount which
should properly be appropriated and
expended in maintenance and replace
ment Of existing paved streets and
highways and the cost OF construction
Of justifiable new projects, total amount
and disposition Of all monies now being
raised through motor vehicle taxation;
and the relation which the total amount
of motor vehicle taxation bears to the
reasonable total cost of new highway
construction, maintenance, replacement
and operation in the District of Co.
lumbia.
The District Highway Department,
the committee reported, has laid out a
program of expenditures for construc-
ton, replacement and maintenance. as
follows: 1882, S3,700,000; 1888. $780,
900; 1884, $3,600,0O0; 1885 $3,500,o0
and 1886, $3,500,000. Any excess over
this amount, the committee declared,
would represent an unnecessary eX-
penditure.
Other Projects Included.
In addition to these expenses the pro-
gram calls for additional expenditures
in the bridge division, for salaries, office
expenses and special street widening
projects in connection with the Airing
ton Memorial Bridge.
Total expenditures of the Highway
Department under the five-year plan,
including all expenses, will be as tol-
lows: 1882, $4,476,550; 1888, S4,848, 800;
1884, $5O1O500; 1885, $5,O20,0O0, and
1886, $4,815,000.
The total annual tax now levied and
paid by District of Columbia motorists
in one form or another, the committee
found, amounts to $2,5l9,3 9,39781, made
up Of the following amounts: TWo-cent
gasoline tax, $1,762, ,3978l; personal
property tax on automobiles, including
81 registration fee, 100000, and an
nual income from operators permits,
Sl57OOO Added to this amount will be
the certificate Of title fees of 81 per car
for each car titled, the average annual
income of which has not as yet been
determined.
Held Present Share Fair.
Motor vehicle taxation in the District
of Columbia under the present status
of taxation pays 63.3 per cent of the
total highway bill including the over
head of the office of the highway engi-
neer and the director Of vehicles and
traffic
This, the committee stated leaves
36.7 per cent of the total cost to be
paid by abutting property owners and
from the general fund including the
share which the Federal Government
should assume as its fair and proper
share Of the burden.
Therefore" the committee reported,
"the only conclusions which may be
drawn is that the motorists of Wash
ington as class are already paying
at the very least their fair share of the
cost of the construction. replacement |
and maintenance of District streets"
The committee argues that the Fed
eral Government should not Shirk its
share of expenses for construction and !
maintenance of streets in the National |
Capital listing the following reasons |
for Federal contributions
/. Large sums are spent in the con- |
struction, replacement and maintenance |
of streets on which Federal property |
abuts and for which the Federal Gov |
ernment OF course, pays no assessment. |
2 The width and character of the |
streets made necessary by the fact that |
the seat of the Federal Government is |
located in the District Of Columbia adds |
substantially to the cost Of street and |
highway construction
8. Thousands of Government-owned |
vehicles, including trucks, use the |
streets Of the District Of Columbia daily |
and contribute nothing whatsoever |
%N,Y I'D ha inf Nf Ihpcn StraptS !
which they help to tear down to the |
same relative degree as The same num-
Der of privately owned motor vehicles.
T. The District of Columbia receives
no share of the monies appropriated by
the Federal Government for Federal
aid TO the States.
Levy viii Exceed Needs.
The committee points out in its con-
clusicns that the proposals made in the
two motor vehicle taxation bills intro
duced by the Mapes committee would
produce revenues from the District
motoring public totaling $5,28l,7 ,795. .62.
Of the total, the Accent gasoline tax
would account for $3,524 1852, the
weight tax for $l,600000 and the
operators permit fee for $l57OOO, the
report shows.
Not only will the gasoline tax increase
produce more revenues than are neeQeo
for highway purposes, but they prooapIy
will force many motorists to cut GOWN
the use of their cars, in the opinion oI
committee members.
The recent experience OF various
States, the committee reported, mas
shown conclusively that in not one' put
in several instances, more money mas
been collected from lower tax than
higher tax.
The State of Pennsylvania, cited as
an example, in May, 1880, collected W
68l ,448 under a Accent tax, While IN
May, 1881, collections under scent
tax scared to S3,880,815. Thus, II was
pointed out with a tax OF | cent
gallon less, collections were $l'zoo'ooo
greater.
In concluding it's report, the COM
mittee members said:
Comparing the amount OF money
which would be raised through moCor !
vehicle taxation as proposed py tne
Mapes Committee with the actual neeuS
OF the District OF Columbia Tor hlgh-
way construction, replacement anu
it Is evident that tne
Mapes plan would raise from Ine
motorists alone not only the entlTe cost
of operation of the highway oepdlU,
ment, its construction program anu
operation of the office OF the director
OF vehicles and traffic and therefore
lay the burden of the entire hgnWay
program solely on the shoulders OF tne
motorists of the District OF columbia,
but would in addition raise an excess
of $l,307,855.62 which surplus would
be diverted to the general 1uno Ior pul-
poses other than street ana highway
,,,-
The Mapes Committee bills for
motor vehicle taxation would not only
raise the revenues from the motoring
public of the District Of Columbia tar !
in excess of the just and proper snare
which the motorlst of the DlstTlct I
should be called upon to pay out S
would inevitably result in tnat most i
obnoxious of all practices-tne leVytag s
Of taxes against motorists as CLASS lOI d