Evening star., 1936-10-23

ment. Certainly Congress should be
urged not to make any more special
exemptions from taxation and to give
little heed to outsiders who come here
telling US how to spend our money"
Thomas j. Keefe, general manager
Of the American Motorists Association,
deplored the fact that the District Is
the only political subdivision in the
United States not participating in
Federal highway aid.
He also pointed out that District
motorists paid into the Federal Treas
ury $2,117,544 in taxes on automo-
biles. gasoline. tires, tubes. oil, access
sories, and so forth, in the last fiscal
year without any return In the form
Of highway Improvements.
Treatment Held Unjust.
"The Keystone Automobile Club OF
Washington" Keefe declared, feels
that the District Of Columbia has been
given unjust treatment in the matter
of the failure of its inclusion in the
Federal highway act upon the same
terms and conditions as any Of the
several States and Territories Of
Hawaii and Puerto Rico. This posi-
ton is predicated upon the following
fact:
THAT the annual appropriation
from the District Of Columbia gaso-
line tax fund for highway work is
sufficient to match dollar for dollar
the apportionments that would result
from the District participation in the
regular Federal-aid highway act.
That the District for the fiscal
year 1896 paid into the Federal Treas
ury the sum Of $2,ll7,544 as Federal
revenues in gasoline and excise taxes
without any return to the motor
vehicle owners in the nature Of high
way improvements.
That the Federal Government
since March /, 1888, to September 80,
1895, appropriated, allocated and au-
thorized highway funds to the several
States. territories, Hawaii and Puerto
Rico, Alaska and its own public lands
and so forth, the sum of $2,042, ,921,- :
760, two thousand and forty-three
millions of dollars, of which the Dis
trict received but the sum Of $4.253.-
900 for highway work in the interest Of
unemployment relief-and 100000
even for each fiscal year 1888 and 1899
as outright grants for grade crossing
elimination work under terms of sec
tion of the Hayden-Cartwright ap-
proved June 16, 1886.
That the sum Of $4,000, 900 as rev.
enues paid by the taxpayers of the
District to the Federal Treasury for
the fiscal year 1896 represents a
sum in excess Of that paid by 26
other political subdivisions within
and without the several States for
the same fiscal year.
Amount Of Gas Tax.
"That the motor vehicle owners Of
the District paid to the Federal Treas
ury the sum Of $4,504, ,49464 as gaso-
line taxes for the fiscal years 1888,
1884, 1885 and 1896 without having re-
ceived any part Of it as appropria-
tions for highway construction with
in the District.
THAT the Federal Government and
tiC ALotl dAC VkCld dtAlA6 OfCk opOOO
light and heavy duty motor vehicles
on the streets and highways of the
District tax-exempt and at a cost ap-
proximating $150.000 per annum.
THAT the Bureau Of Public Roads,
United States Department Of Agri-
culture, through the chief Of the
bureau, indorsed the inclusion Of the
District for enactment in the Hayden
Cartwright highway act approved
June 16, 1885. upon the same terms
and conditions as any Of the several
States and Territories.
THE Keystone Automobile Club Of
Washington. therefore, respectfully
prays that the distinguished members
| of this fact-fnding committee give
their immediate consideration to our
proposal that it draft legislative lam
guage for presentation to the Seventy
NTH Congress, convening January 5
1887, for the purposes OF extending