Evening star., 1932-12-18
Tax Revolt of Highway Users
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

The old adage concerning the turn
ing worm has been illustrated anew in
the banding together of the principal
users of American highways in protest
against the burden Of taxation which
has progressively been unloaded upon
them. Throughout the years in which
the American highway system has been
building cities, counties, States, and
even the Federal Government. have laid
tax after tax upon the motorist. AS
these imposts have been added piece
meal, rather than in one huge tax, they
were permitted to accumulate like the
proverbial StraWS on the camel'S back.
So great has now become the aggregate
that the section of the public using the
roads has arisen in revolt, crying for
equity.
The National Highway Users Confer
ence has been organized, with head
quarters at Washington. by SO many
constituent bodies that it bids fair to
be the greatest body of the public joined
togethe for single purpose, short OF
natior Al political party.
To begin with, through the American
Aut tomobile Association, it has tens OF
thousands of private motorists as men,
bers. But the membership goes far be-
yond this. Obviously, the protestantS
against oppressive and discriminatory
taxation are motorists, but all kinds OF
peoples use motors on the highways or
have collateral interests. Alfred P.
Sloan, president of General Motors, Is
chairman of the conference.
The improved highways of the coun-
try first were devised as an aid to the
farmer. That was long before the de-
velopment of the pleasure car SO 1t
IS natural that the National Grange, the
greatest farm organization in the coun-
try, Should have its thousands of farm
erS ranked with the conference. The
early morning milkman, who must truck
his product 10 town over the highways,
is represented through thc Interna-
tional Association Of Mix Dealers. The
American Bakers Association is in and
the National Chain Stores Association.
The American Petroleum Institute,
which thinks gasoline is overtaXed, be-
longs, and so does the Rubber Manufac
turers' Association. The Farmers
Union and the National Publishers As
sociation have joined the revolt, and
also the National Automobile Chamber
Of Commerce.
Pyramiding Of Taxes.
It is doubtful whether there has been
so concerted a rebellion against taxes
OF a certain type since Great Britain
levied the stamp tax on the American
Colonies just before the War of the
American Revolution.
Roads first were constructed out OF
the taxes paid by land owners. In
many States. before the era Of good
roads. road taxes and poll taxes could
be paid by farmers by manual labor on
the ditching smoothing ruts. re-
pairing culverts and the like. This suf-
feed for the old dirt road, but when
the era OF macadam came IN a more
highly organized and infinitely more
expensive type of road building was
called for. Taxes were increased b.
counties and States. as well as by cities.
The counties and States, eager to eX-
tend their improved highway systems.
could not wait for the taxes to come
in. so they bonded themselves TO the
tune Of many millions. While this fur
nished the money for immediate road
building it also added heavy weight
to the budgets for interest. Also, the
various jurisdictions soon learned, the
first cost is by no means all Road