Evening star., 1937-12-05
Bv G.. adams HOward.
. RESIDENT ROOSEVELTS an
. nounced intention to get Con-


- nounced intention to get Con-
gress to revise the program of
i Federal aid to State highways
does not sit very well with the Ameri-
can Road Builders Association, which
terms the plan "a post Thanksgiving
blow delivered to the chins Of those
who concern themselves with decreas-
ing the $4,000 and more highway ac-
cident fatalities each year"
According to Charles P. Upham, en-
gineer-director Of the organization, the
step toward balanced national
budget means a complete unbalancing
OF the highway program. Mr.. Up
ham states that the highway system
At present Is inadequate to meet the
demands of modern traffic and its
deficiencies were responsible for the
great number of deaths last year.
Automotive experts predict the out
put of 100000 motor vehicles by
the end Of 1887, majority Of which
will be added to the $4,000, 900 already
on the highway This increase will
almost inevitably mean an increase in
traffic fatalities unless funds are made
available for the construction of more
and safer roads to accommodate
these speedier and more powerful cars.
Yet a proposed diversion of more
than $l00,000,0OO from Federal high
way funds is seen despite the millions
Of dollars already being paid the
Government annually in taxes on gas
oline, oil, tires and parts and acces-
sories.
An A. r. B. A. statement further
comments that with more than g.
100000 miles of rural highways totally
unimproved; with less than 100000
hard-surfaced miles in the total rural
mileage of 100000; with highway
fatalities mounting each year, and
with State Legislatures diverting al
most s200,000,O00 from their highway
funds to totally unrelated purposes,
the President believes that the time
has come to cut Federal highway aid
to the pre-depression figure.
1t would appear at least that the
American Road Builders Association
has right to deplore the present
gloomy situation.
The American Automobile Associa-
ton took up its cudgels against high
taxation for the motorists at their
35th annual convention in New York.
A bill of indictment charging that
motorists Of the United States are
being unfairly and unjustly taxed far
beyond their ability to pay; that a
substantial part of the colossal ST.
500,000,0 900 annual automotive tax bill
is misappropriated or wasted through
unwise planning and spending; that
gasoline is subjected to the double
jeopardy of high and excessive taxa
ton by the State and Federal Gov
ernments, was contained in resolu-
tions adopted.
Repeal of the duplicating Federal
gasoline tax, temporary" measure
enacted by Congress; reasonable tax
alton of gasoline by the States so
that their motorist citizens, most of
whom earn less than $50 a week, will
not be pinched unreasonably in pay
2AlS 6doOllIlC odACo, IllC CIlUllS Ol
diversion of automotive tax funds to
non-highway purposes, practice
which now absorbs 16 cents of the tax
dollar paid by motorists to the States,
and the adoption of uniform dates Of
motor vehicle registration by the
various States, were urged in the
resolution adopted by the association,
representing thousands of motorists
in all parts of the country.
In advocating better highway
planning and wiser expenditure of
automotive tax funds, the association
urges that any road construction
should be, in every instance predicated
on traffic needs; that special motor
vehicle tax funds should be applied
to major routes; that all beneficiaries
of the highway should contribute their
fair share to the necessary budgets;
that the motorists share be definitely
predicated not on road needs alone,
but also on their ability to pay; and
that no program should be so ambitious
as to place an undue burden on the
motorists or any other class of tax
payers"
The association advocated the
amendment of the Hayden Cartwright
Act by imposing greater penalties on
States misappropriating automotive
tax funds to non-highway purposes.