Evening star., 1936-11-15

Motor vacation
ang abroad, as reflected in the records
of the A. A. AS foreign travel divi-
sion, was so per cent ahead of last
year and more than 80 per cent above
any previous record. Into Canada
and down into Mexico over the
newly completed section of the PAN
American Highway to Mexico City
went large number of travellers in
tent on reaching new scenes and new
travel experiences. Gasoline con-
sumption, an outstanding motor
travel indicator, is running 10 per
cent or more above 1885, while the
number of visitors to the national
parks and the national forests is at
ell-time proportions.
This, briefly, is summary of this
years Spring and Summer travel
picture. Prospects at the present
time are excellent for new high
records in Winter travel to the South,
which will begin in substantial volume
next month when the cold winds
begin to blow in Northern cities.
National Economy Affected.
The increased use of motor cars
during the past year has, of course,
had a tremendous influence on the
national economy. Automobile sales
are at the highest point in many
years; registrations of motor vehicles
at the close of this year almost with
out question will be the highest in
history. Vacation resorts, garages,
filling stations, tourist ablishments
and practically every enterprise cater
ing to the motor vacationist are ex-
periencing the best business on record.
A natural question at this time is:
What are the prospects for next year?
My own view is that prospects are
extremely good. Motor vehicle own
ership. although higher in this coun-
try than anywhere else on the globe,
is still far from the so-called lab
sorption point" Even without the
market created by the annual scrap
ping of millions of vehicles, there are
still many, many opportunities for
sales to persons who never before
have owned an automobile. I think,
In estimating potentialities, the
prophets should not stop this side of
the 100000 mark.
But this increase in car ownership,
with all its tremendous influences on
national prosperity, is faced with sew
eral very practical deterrents. First,
there is the deterring influence of
70
second, there is the obstacle of an
increasing number of complex, harsh
and unduly stringent motor vehicle
regulatory measures.
s1,2S6, ,OO0, 900 Tax Bill.
In regard to the first of these de-
torrents to future expansion of the
motor vehicle industry and car own
ership, nothing can be more emphatic
than simply to recite that in the past
year the tax bill of Americas mo-
toristS reached the awe-inspiring total
of $1,286, 900 ,000-by a substantial
margin the highest in history.
Insofar as the motor vehicle is con-
cerned. taxes have been piled on
taxes; Federal, State, municipal and
county governments have Joined in
the scramble to mulct the car owner,
and, on top of all this, the motorists
special taxes have been diverted to
highway purposes and spent on
a variety of projects that have not
the slightest connection with road
building or road maintenance for
which the motorist is supposed to be
paying
Obviously, this pyramiding Of taxes
cannot continue indefinitely; sooner
or later it will reach the point of
yield and there necessarily will be a
trend in the opposite direction. AL
ready some of the States have en-
countered this difficulty and have had
TO turn from exorbitant open" taxes,
such as registration fees, to exorbi-
tant hidden" taxes, such as the gaso-
line levy.
Tax Resentment Manifest.
But, despite the fact that the gaso-
line tax is often regarded as a pain
less" method Of extracting funds from
the car owner, there are many indi-
cations that already motorists pa
thence has been stretched to the break
ing point in many jurisdictions and
where the opportunity has been pre-
scented they have hocked to the polls,
or communicated with their legisla-
tive representatives, to express in no
uncertain terms their resentment
against further imposts.
There also has been strong evidence
during the past year of stiffening of
motorists antagonism against the
plundering of the road fund to meet
general government expenses. In
several States they already have
adopted constitutional amendments
making diversion of motor taxes i'm
possible, and movements toward the
adoption of similar methods are under
way in other States.
The A. A. A. always has taken the
position that motor taxes are levied
for a specific purpose-namely, the
building, upkeep and administration Of
highways-and that they are justified
only so long as they are applied to
that end. Motorists will not stand for
being singled out and made the scape-
xoat of soaring expenses and unbal.
anced budgets.
The second-named obstacle-that of
unduly stringent regulations-will be
particularly in evidence next year.
when A State Legislatures will be in
session. The motor car, for some rea-
son. has always been the particular
target of the "there-ought-to-be-a-
law" type Of person who tries to rush
through hastily drawn and poorly
planned measures in an attempt to
iegislate Utopia regardless Of conse-
puences.
Motor transport today operates un-
der variety Of regulations, the com.
plexity Of which would bafiie Phila-