Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1938-07-07
VACATION DAY ARE HERE
But Gasoline Here Continues Cost.
ly at Is Cents Per Hour

But Gasoline Here Continues Cost
ly at Is Cents Per Hour
An unprecedented wave of sum.
mer travel which will create
spending to the extent of $4,000
100000 was predicted last week BY
W. Purves Taylor, Secretary of the
Associated Petroleum Industries Of
Delaware.
According to data supplied by
the best research facilities, summer
travel will break all previous rec
ords this year" Mr.. Taylor said in
a statement to the press. More
people own cars than ever before
in the nations history and automo-
tive operating costs, except taxes,
are far below their pre-depression
levels. It has been estimated that
approximately half Of the nations
motorists will spend all or part of
their vacation touring the country.
This Will mean that thousands of
Delaware motorists will participate
ID this form of travel
'Low-priced cars within the
reach of the great majority of fam
lies, plus gasoline which retails,
exclusive Of taxes, at a price which
permits of one hundred miles of
travel for 81, have combined to
make touring popular. Travel is
over highways largely financed by
gasoline taxes.
Millions Of dollars Of tourist
dollars will be spent in Delaware.
Recent studies of the spending
habits of tourists show that of each
dollar SO expended zoe goes toward
transportation and a similar
amount is spent in hotel and tour
ist camp accommodations Incl
dental retail purchases account for
25c of each dollar, while meals and
provender take another 21c.
Amusements and refreshments &C
count for SC and SC respectively.
Amusement centers, according
to the research, will sell tourists
from $4,000, 900 to $3.50 ,OOO. 900
worth of pleasure Even the hum
bic hot dog stands will benefit to
the extent of at least S24O, 200, 900.
The economic significance of
these expenditures, according to
recent census figures, is clearly re-
vealed when it is estimated that
the S800,000,000 to be spent for
automobile-operating expenses is
equivalent to an entire years bust
ness for $4,000 automotive stores,
a total of 107, 900 work
ers. All told, tens of thousands of
jobs will be createl by increased
travel this year.
yet another type of expendi-
ture will loom large in the budgets
Of vacation tourists this summer.
It is estimated that nearly $780,
100000 of the estimated total ex-
oendfture will go to the tax collec-
Tor, chiefly in the form of gasoline
and other automotive taxes. I'm
ike money spent for vacation nee
essities, however. tax dollars will
lot energize business. To the con-
.rary, they viii reduce the trade
stimulating power of tourist ex-
,enditures.
Recent indications are that |.
ourists are becoming more fully
lware of the tax hitch-hiker's cost
mess. In Delaware, for example,
sasoline taxes alone cost automo-
i've operators 15c an hour. Tour
ng bureaus have reported that mo-
orists seeking vacation routings in
many instances request to be rout-
ID around high tax states
Delaware is rapidly becoming a
popular tourist state and Delaware
BUSINESS and industry will profit
Substantially from this years tour
st business. Any increase in auto
motive tax burdens would cause
he state to lose its present popu- !
arity as an ideal vacation area for Z
nillions of tourists and this loss ,
you'd be reflected in drastic Z
hrinkage of the benefits now en- !
Dyed. Conversely. any decrease in
utomotive taxes would mean a =
reater influx of tourist dollars
nd increased benefits to Delaware .
:
------------------- 4