Evening star., 1935-09-08

are based upon gasoline reported for
tax. 1t Is believed that the failure OF
these States to keep pace with the
generally higher trend of consump-
ton may be ascribed to the evasion
and avoidance of taxes, and also to
the Encouragement given motor We
hicle purchases and operation by
higher tax rates.
Highway construction is providing
the most effective industrial activity
in the Nations climb to normal pros
perity, with 80 to IS cents Of every
highway dollar going to labor, directly
and indirectly, it was asserted by
Prof. S. S. Steinberg. head Of the
department of civil engineering. Uni
versity of Maryland, and president OF
the educational division Of the Amer
ican Road Builders Association, In
an address recently delivered.
Prof. Steinberg's address. entitled
"Our Highways. Arteries OF the Ma
ton" was presented under auspices
of Science Service.
New figures compiled by Federal
and independent statisticians show
that only one occupation, agriculture,
exceeds highway transportation as a
provider Of jobs, Prof. Steinberg said,
latest reports showing that 40 per
cent Of the gainful workers in all oc-
cupations earn their livelihood due to
our highway transportation and its
allied industries"
He struck hard at the increasing
diversion of gasoline taxes and motor
vehicle fees to purposes other than
highway use, declaring that this trend
threatens seriously to affect highway
development" Official figures were
quoted disclosing that the various
States diverted more than Sl24 1000, 900
of these revenues to uses other than
highways last year, this exclusive Of
the funds so diverted by counties and
other local governments.
"The theory upon which the gaso-
line tax is based is sound and prac-
tical," said Prof. Steinberg. THE
reason the gasoline enters the calcu-
lation is that it is easier to measure
a motorists use Of the highways by
the gasoline consumed than 1t Is to
measure his mileage. It Is essentially
a toll for road use that is collected at
the gasoline station.
when the gasoline tax was first
imposed the highway users were
promised that the revenue would be
used for their benefit in highway i'm
provement AS better roads mean
lower vehicle operating costs, the
motorists appreciated the fairness Of
the tax. Motorists now contend that
diversion of the revenues from these
special taxes to general purposes that
should be borne equally by all citi-
zens is unfair to highway users as a
group"
Darting out from parking spaces
without the formality of giving q
hand signal is an exceedingly dan
gerous practice and one which Is
being engaged in by an apparently
increasing number of local motorists,
in the opinion of George E. Keneipp,
manager of the Keystone Automobile
Club.
According to Mr.. Keneipp, literally
scores of near-accidents occur daily
in the District of Columbia because
car owners violate the fundamental
rule Of warning an approa ching auto
mobile when one intends to emerge
from a parking space. No rule, he
believes, is more persistently vio-
lated than this one.
HnA de hr.f 30 I,rt>
study to come to the conclusion that
motorists constantly fail to give an
adequate signal when vacating a park
ing space" the Keystone official as
SertS.
Every one of our streets and high
ways each day gives plenty of evil
dence of this fact. And the OBJ
server will hold his breath in fear
many times, for not once, but fire.
quently, do near-accidents occur.
Naturally, where there are so many
near-mishaps, accidents themselves
are bound to happen. They do.
Sometimes serious ones; sometimes a
smashed fender Is the cost.
But, whatever the cost, the per-
petrator Of the mishap-the man who
has slipped out of the parking space
without giving ample notice Of his
intention-can know that he need
attempt no alibi. The guilt, in vir-
tually all instances, is his, and there
can be no evading the responsibility.
Surely no motorist who gives the
subject moments thought will
jeopardize life or property when both
can be safeguarded so simply and
certainly"