The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-11-01

privilege of operating their cars, was 41,200. 100000. This does not ii1- cludes the taxes paid by motor plants, tire manufacturers, parts makers, their income taxes, etc. It includes only sums paid by motor owners on cars or for gas after the cars had left the dealers tands.
 Gasoline taxes have increased more than 800 times since they were first imposed 16 years ago. In the first year of gasoline taxes, several states got for themselves q, ,022, ,O0O. Tn 1884 this total had grown to 4565 ,OO0,OO0. Tn tho states, now, motor and gasoline inposts consti- ute the great single source of rev- eniie, amounting to more than half of ali state taxes.
 Mir. Flynn's summary of his find. iiigs is as follows:
 'The reason for this tax situation is obvious. It is c strange outgrowth of perfectly sound principle of state and federal taxes namely, the ability-to-pay theory. Soak -tl1e-rich is another outgrowth of that theory. If Q man has an automobile he is rich. The average fi1otorist in De- catur, Alabama, is 6 plutocrat and therefore ripe for picking. The au- tomobile is Q luxury and those who can ride around on soft cushions in magnificent cars aglow with glitter. ing metal ought to be made to pay for their ease.
 "But, after all, no one can say that the average motorists in De- catur is . plutocrat. There isn't much shining armo" on his 1927 {. cylinder road-roaster.
 Bulk in Lower Brackets
 '"The simple truti. Is that there are more people with cars, who have incomes under 91400 Q year than with incomes over 47,000. Three out of every i've cars are bought by men with an annual income under 33000.
 "The great bulk of gasoline taxes are paid by people whose cars have Q market value of 9260. If you want to soak the rich, you cannot do 1t by seeking the autoist.
 "Ag for the car being Q luxury, it is indeed for large numbers. But what of the millions of cars which are used for delivery service, the millions used by hotels, resorts, mailmen, travelling salesmen, in- spectors and others in their work. the millions used by men to get to and from work? To lay taxes on these cars because cars are Q luxury is to hit wide of the mark. "How much more gas would the average car-owner in Decatur, Ala- barna, have bought S there wasn't that Recent tax?
 How many cars are not bought because of the increased operating cost due to taxes?
 How far can this go before the average man sells his car or parks | 1t in the barna nd lets 1t rest?
 "What effect will all this have on the automobile-producing industry? Facing Mourners' Bench "The automobile industry has shown vitality, even in depression. Can the nation afford to send 1t to join the others on the mourners' bench?"
 MT. Flynn finds everywhere in the United States . definite policy to increase motor taxes. One of the reasons most frequently given Is the cost of road building. But the last big year of road building, 1881, saw an expenditure of 9i,o42 000, ,000 spent for roads, including expendi- lures for city streets and county dirt-and-gravel roads. About half c billion dollars of this was paid from bond issues. The actual amount spent from taxes was 9i,300, ,O00, 900. And the amount collected directed directly from motor traf1ic in taxes was to5o, ,000,000.
 This year and last year the amount spent on roads was enor- mously less, but the tax collected from cars was higher than ever be- fore.
 Overhead Too Heavy "Wili anyone contend" asks Mir. Flynn, that motors ought to pay the whole cost of highways? No one ever thought of assessing the whole cost of roads against the horse end buggy. For roads perform all sorts of services to all sorts of interests. They are essential to so- cial intercourse; they are needed for police and fire protection; they add billions of dollars of value to the lands through which they run; they are essential to the railroads. It Is absurd to talk of laying the whole cost of public roads upon autoists.
 "The automobile industry is pe- ctiliarly free from certain handicaps -its debt is negligible. its product is sold on short-teYm payments which are quickly liquidated. It recognizes obsolescence and thus supplies an endless stream of fresh products which keeps millions of men at work. This country cannot afford to reduce its automobile inc dustry to the level of the railroad industry. This does not mean that the automobile should not be taxed and subjected to regulation. But that regulating should be in the inc terest of the public"