The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-05-08
STATES LOSE
MILLIONS in
CAR REVENUE
Miss Berry Points to Re-
suit of Georgia, Virginia
Tag Price Cuts
Nv HARRIET M. BERRY

auction of revenue for our own
state highway system, let's con-
slider the experiences OF two near
nv states which have effected these
reductions as we'll as the service
rendered by these states in COM
harrison with our own state.
GEORGIA: This state has less
than one-third the mileage OF
bard-surfaced roads that we have.
3e16 miles of hard-surface and
1924 miles of improved road
(mostly sand-clav) under state
maintenance; it has 95, $50 miles
of county road not cared for by
the state: has no bonded indebt-
edness for roads; is giving less
than 80 per cent of its people road
service. 1t has reduced all licenses
TO a flat SO with the following
result: Revenue from tag taxes in
1888, $1,035,261 as compared
with $4,256,552 in 1882, loss OF
1921, POI. Their six cent gas tax
brought in $12,067.837 in 1882
and in 1888 jumped to S12,414,-
S22, a gain of only $346,985, a
natural gain with business i'm
provement. This, however, repre-
sented total net loss of $2,874,-
3O6 to their highway revenue.
Very little gain in gas revenue re-
suited from tag reduction. All
of the people of this state are not
only paying a Scent gas tax but
the license fee as we'll and large
majority are subjected to an even
heavier mud tax for lack of road
service. / hear from people who
travel the Georgia roads that even
their concrete highways are as
Stunning roller-coaster effect
which eventually means a break
ing down of even this type of
road. This Georgia tax has also
a moral implication as it has re-
suited in individuals of other
states buying Georgia tags and
thereby cheating their own state
from which they are getting road
service. The result has been that
other states are having to resort
to drastic measures to protect
themselves against an intolerable
situation and the Georgia tag has
become a badge of shame.
VIRGINIA: A 40 per cent re-
duction in Virginia state tags has
resulted in a $2,669,37S deficit
in its highway funds. This state
has built its highway system piece
meal, through current revenue,
federal aid and use of convicts.
Their state system consists of
$500 hard-surface miles, $500
miles of other types and $1,000
miles of county roads. Recently
they have adopted the North Car
DINA plan of the states being
responsible for their county roads.
| Their license tax was 70 cents
per cwt., while North Cardinals
is 55c per cwt. In addition the cit
les CT Virginia have heavy license
taxes. in some cases. / am inform
cd, running as high as the state
tag tax. In North Carolina the
highest city tax allowed by law
is 81; so that even with the 40
per cent reduction in state license
fees, the city dwellcrs of Virginia
arc paying in toto a much higher
rate than the North Carolina pres
ent fees. Virginia is spending S.
100000 per annum for the main
tenance of 5000 miles of state
highways while North Carolina is
now spending only $1,68O,000 per
annum on it's 10,430 miles of pri-
mary roads; Virginia is spending
S5,952,192 for maintenance and
construction of $4,000 miles of
| county roads while North Caro-
lima is allotted only S4,320,000 on
it's county system of $4,000 miles.
In other words, Virginia is spend
ing approximately S8,000,000 on
mileage of 10000 miles while
North Carolina was allotted only
100000 to spend on 58,430
miles. This inadequate allotment
for maintenance in North Caro-
lima has already resulted in seri-
Gus impairment of many of our
high type roads. However. the
best possible service is being CIV
en- all our people under the re-
stricted allotment for. mainten-
ance. Virginia has no debt ser
vice, while North Carolina has an
nual debt service of $4,000, 900.
In spite of the fact that Virginia
has no debt service, they are run
ming in the red for current costs
to the tune of $1,500,000 a year
as result of a Accent reduction
in their tag tax. The proposed re-
duction to a SIS tag for all cars
in North Carolina would mean
Sc 2-3 per cent reduction in our
revenues from. this source. AS to
the argument that a lowered tag
tax would result in more revenue
from gas tax, this is answered by
the fact that since January first
with the same license fees our
gas tax income has increased at
the rate of 100000 per month.
Total registration of motor, vehi-
cles in December, 1888, was 409,-
095, on April first, (three, months
of operation), the registration is
358,657. a difference of 40,437
motor vehicles. BY December of
this year this will likely more than
have been made up. Any way, such
cars as were taken off the roads
by reason of inability to paw IL
censes at the time set by the leg
islature could hardly afford to
buy much gas. The &c Jrgia ex-
perience in reduced leone in
volving reduced tags and possible
gas increase is q glarinp. exan,nIe