Evening star., 1936-03-08


tax deductions allowed motorists by
reason of car operation is:
Every penny paid to the State in
form of registration and other special
fees may be deducted by District of
Columbia Virginia and Maryland
motorists. Also they may deduct
amounts paid out in gasoline taxes
when travelling through most OF the
other States. as the Bureau of In"
ternal Revenue now allows such de-
auctions for all but IA States.
However. it is important to remeHl-
ber that amounts paid out in Federal
gasoline and other excise taxes strictly
are not deductible. Other deductible
items include interest on money bor-
rowed for purchase Of car and loss
sustained from damages not covered
by insurance. Fines or forfeited COL
lateral are not deductible.
The traffic hearings before the
House District Subcommittee continue.
Most of the testimony given has car
fied the same general suggestions. 1t
appears that much good will be
accomplished. Despite the severe
weather that existed in the two
months Just passed, there is con-
siderable improvement noted in traffic
conditions here However, there Is
much to be done With the proposed
extreme cut in Federal appropriations
for the city, 1t is not likely that
additional traffic policemen will be
obtained at the present time. This
failure to provide an adequate force
is to be regretted greatly.
William A. Van Duzer, director OF
traffic, announces that the emergency
parking restrictions are over for the
season The official end came on the
1st of March The ban was put into
effect to permit efficient snow removal,
which certainly was needed this year.
Historic Pennsylvania avenue really
is going to be lighted up. Not for
paradeS nor increased street lighting
at night, but for traffic. In few days
traffic lights will operate on each in
tersection from Third street to
Twenty The new lights at the
upper end of the Avenue are now in
stalled and only await final inspection
before being put into operation.
An aggressive plan, aimed to build
'speedometer consciousness" in the
average motorists mind in order to
cut down the appalling auto accident
record of the country, has been under
taken with the organization OF the
"Not Over Fifty" Club by the Lumber
mems Mutual Casualty Co., James S.
kemper, president, announces.
Speed, major menace of the high
ways, is to receive concentrated atten-
ton, not in limited campaign, but
every day, according to the plan OF
the club. 1t is to be voluntary group,
and membership will involve no cost.
The requirements for membership
are simple, involving only the pasting
of a small red arrow bearing the words
mot Over Fifty" on the speedometer
and the agreement to observe 10 COM
mon sense rules of safe driving. Men,
bers limit their speed on open
highways to so miles an hour, cutting
this figure sharply in the cities.
'Safe-driving campaigns and safe
driving slogans have proven their value
in helping to reduce accidents" Mr..
Kemper said. Unfortunately, how
ever, their effect Is all too often Of
but temporary nature. Some method
must be adopted to drill speedometer
consciousness into the average driver
every minute he is in the car.
I'VE believe the new club will be
step In that direction" Mr.. Kemper
said THE red safety arrow on the
speedometer serves as a constant re-
minder to the man at the wheel to
watch his pace. Studies have proven
the effectiveness of red warning sig
nails on the mind. and our experiments
lead us to believe that this red safety
arrow will tend to effectively check
the speed at which motorists drive.
If this plan will build up a group
Of drivers who will boast that they
did not go over so instead Of brag-
ging about the rapid speed at which
they have been driving" Mr.. Kemper
added, eve shall have taken forward
step in meeting the appalling problem
Of accidents in our streets and
highways"
The Four Horsemen of Snow, Ice,
Frost, and Flood, riding the storms
of the worst Winter in years, have
worked unprecedented havoc with the
Nations highways, the American Au-
tomobile Association recently declared.
Basing its statements on reports
from scores of A. A. A. scout cars,
the national motoring body said that
no section of the country had been
altogether immune and that extensive
repairs on many major arteries would
be necessary before they could be
Travelled with safety.
1T would be difficult," said Thomas
p. Henry, president of the A. A. A.,
''to put definite money value on
the damage to our roads resulting
from the ravages of the Winter, but
certainly it will run into very high
figure, probably adding some $50 1000
900 to the road maintenance bill con-
fronting the States" He continued:
"Ths injury to our road plant was
undoubtedly accentuated by reason of
the fact that many highways were
caught in state Of disrepair because
in 1885 some $2Oo,O00000 Of tax rev.
enue collected from motorists for road
construction and maintenance had
been virtually misappropriated and
diverted TO other purposes. largely of
O boondoggling character.
with the country thoroughly
aroused over motor fatalities and
injuries, and with every indication of
q heavy travel season ahead, 1t Is
absolutely vital that our roads be put
in condition; and for this reason
alone the application of one cent Of
motor tax money 70 any other than
road use would be nothing short
Of criminal"
Full support of the automobile in
dustry for the enforcement program