Evening star., 1932-01-31
BY JOHN T. FLYNN.
Reprinted from Golfers Weekly Throul
Inc

III JotlAN IL Il wv
Reprinted from Golfers Weekly Through tn,
American Petroleum Institute.
As you leave New York City to start
on your trip to the Pacific Coast in
your automobile you will be stopped at
Holland Tunnel and asked to pay So
cents This is a toll, the money being
used to pay for the building and up
keep of the tunnel. This is modern
survival of the old-faShioned toll gate
system which was fashionable in the
old days when the roads were owned
by private persons and they charged
you for the privilege of riding on them
AS you pay your so cents at the Hol-
land Tunnel you say to yourself,
That's the last 1 have to pay in road
tolls Thank Heaven, the days of the
old toll gate and toll collector are gone.
Now l can ride the rest of the way
free"
Don't Be Deceived.
But do not deceive yourself You
still have 1900 miles to travel before
you reach San Francisco. What would
you say If l were to tell you that there
are scores of toll gates to be passed
and that as you travel you will be stop
ped by tax collector at least every 100
miles and compelled to hand over from
80 to SO cents and more as a toll or
tax for the privilege of using the roads?
Well, If I were to tell you that you
wouldn't believe it. In order to go tC
the Coast from New York you must
pass through New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kan
SaS, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and Cali
fornia. You must drive distances up to
$50 miles through each of these States.
You will have to pay tolls for the
privilege of driving across each State.
To drive across New Jersey will cost
20 cents. To drive 400 miles across
Pennsylvania will cost you 81. You
will have to pay 81 in Ohio, 60 cents
in Indiana, 40 cents in Illinois. 40 cents
in Missouri, ST in Kansas S135 in Col
orado, ST in Utah, 70 cents in Nevada
and so cents in California. The toll
collectors after you have left the HOl
land Tunnel will get $8l5 in all And
assuming that there is one every 100
miles you will be stopped 80 times be-
tween here and the coast.
Unseen Toll Gates.
But, says the much-traveled motoriSt
I have been back and forth between
here and the Pacific Coast many times
and I have never seen these toll gates
you speak Of and do not recall paying
these various sums you list. All. that
is the very point! The toll gates are
there, but you do not see them. You
pay the money, but you do not notice
it. AS a matter of fact. instead of 30
toll gates there are perhaps 10000 For
every gasoline station is a tollgate
where the State collects from every
motorist who buys gasoline a tax for
riding on the roads.
~, h, OF
Colorado and North Dakota imposed a
tax of l cent gallon on every gallon
of gasoline sold in those States. I'M
mediately taX-hungry legislators all
over the country sat up, rubbed their
eyes and said: well! Well! Well
What do you know about that? We
certainly have been asleep. Just look
at this nice juicy melon patch we have
been overlooking all these years My
My! We must get busy"
And they did Kentucky adopted the
tax next year. and in 1921 oregon made
it 2 cents for good measure. In 1921
l3 States had gasoline taxes and were
collecting S5,382.lll in that year. Two
years later eight States had raised the
rate to 3 cents. Florida, Arkansas, Ne
vada and North Carolina saw Oregon's
3 cents and raised her /, while South
Carolina made it in 1925. South
Carolina. Florida and Georgia raised
the rate to cents in 1929 Meantime
all the States were gathering around
and getting into the game.
A Rapid Yield.
There is perhaps no record in history
Of a tax rising in yield at so rapid a
rate. In 1921 the collections amounted
to S5.382, ,000 Two years later they
were $38, 8,566,O0O. Two years later still
they were $l48358.0O0. In another
three years they were S305 900 900. Last
year they were S495,OOO,0OO. So you
see, it's getting to be a pretty big game.
Now every State in the Union has a
gasoline tax There are no more 1-cent
taxes. Only five are as low as 2 cents
Only II are as low as cents. Four
and five cents seem to be the popular
rates. AS a matter of fact. the aver
age rate for all the States during 1881
was a little over 4 cents. But there are
at least five States with Scent taxes
and one with 7.
The tendency is upward everywhere
as you move South and West, particu-
larly South. The motoriSt travelling
South to Florida for the Winter drives
along a rising curve of gasoline taxes
In New York the tax is 2 cents When
he gets over to Jersey, it is g. In Penn
sylvania he finds it 3, but runs into
Accent tax as soon as he enters Mary
land. In Virginia the rate scars to s.
When the motorist gets to North Caro-