Evening star., 1936-03-01

the period 1919 through 1885. Reve-
nues from the duplicating Federal
gasoline tax were reported as totaling
$3.50, 1877 .566 in the period 1882 through
1885. Unreported revenue running
into millions of dollars also has been
paid in additional county and NUM-
cipal levies, he said, explaining that
in some sections of the country four
different taxes are paid on every gal
lon of motor fuel, the total tax some
times running as high as - cents per
gallon and exceeding the price Of the
commodity itself.
State gasoline tax collections for
1885 were estimated at $685., 100 600.
a new record. and about $4,000. 900
above the 1884 income, $565. OPT 900.
Federal gasoline taxes cost the tax
payers an additional $l72.262, ,481. or
more than s2,000,000 above the 1894
revenue. $170.1o9,270.
Mr.. Markham pointed out that the
farmer, as the largest class consumer
of motor fuel, pays more than one
fourth the cost Of gasoline taxes. Tax
payers of California, Ohio, Pennsyl-
sylvania and New York were reported
as having paid more than one-quar-
ter of all gasoline tax revenues COL
lected by the States since 1918, as
well as the larger share of Federal
gasoline taxes collected since 1882.
Contributions from California's tax
payers to that State were reported as
totaling $3.50, 0,l7S.538 since 1928. Ohio
motorists are estimated to have paid
1922, OF, ,44S since 1925. Pennsylvania
motorists paid $3l5, ,s22, 1877 since 1921.
Motorists of New York, the largest
gasoline consuming State, have paid
1854, ,820, GOT since 1929.
State gasoline tax rates were said
to range from 2 cents to cents per
gallon. with the duplicating Federal
levy increasing the cost cent per
gallon in every State. The average of
State and Federal tax rates now ex-
ceeds cents per gallon, he added,
and the combined levies constitute an
average retail sales tax of around 40
per cent. Collection of State taxes
was said to cost the States about
| $3,000,0 900 a year and to cost the
petroleum industry, which is held re-
sponsible for their payment, upward
of $22,5oo,ooo year.
While the taxation of gasoline was
inaugurated for the sole purpose of
financing the construction, improve
ment and maintenance of highways,
Mr.. Markham estimated that approxi-
mately $500, 900, 900, or about 10 per
cent, has been used for other purposes
since 1919. This sum becomes more
than 81, ,000, 900. 900, he said. when con-
sideration is given to the fact that
revenue from the Federal gasoline tax
is not directly allocated to roads.
Diversion has increased in recent
years, it was reported, some States
diverting more than half the revenue
to general expenses.
Payment of more than IS, 900 000.-
900 in gasoline taxes since 1919 indi-
Gates that the motorist is doing his
share toward highway financing" said
Mr.. Markham. Besides this special
additional tax for roads. he pays regis
tration fees, drivers license fees and
other fees and taxes which total more
than 1000, 900, 900 annually.
"The gasoline tax is the most ex-
pensive of all, however, increasing the
cost Of motor fuel, on the average, by
about 40 per cent. This is at least 10
times more expensive than any other
sales tax levied today, and it should,
and can, be reduced with benefit to
the taxpayers. In many States gaso-
line tax rates admittedly are excessive.
In many States also taxpayers are pay
ing more than is necessary and still
are not getting the highways for
which they pay, either because the
money is used for other purposes or
because the lack of a carefully pre-
pared long-term program for develop
ing and maintaining economical but
adequate highways permits Of waste
and extravaganza"