Evening star., 1939-12-24

gan: Save a Life for Christmas"
are 80 national organizations. They
are:
The American Legion, Veterans Of
Foreign Wars. American Red Cross,
Federal Council of Churches, Ma
tional Congress of Parents and
Teachers, General Federation of
Women's Clubs, National Grange,
B'nai Birth, International Society
for Crippled Children, National So
ciety for Prevention of Blindness,
National Conservation Bureau,
American Automobile Association,
United States Public Roads Admin
istration.
The International Association Of
Chiefs of Police, Automotive Safety
Foundation, American Association
of Motor Vehicle Administrators,
Institute of Traffic Engineers, XII
wants International, Lions Interna-
tional, Optimist International,
Knights of Columbus, Masons, Elks,
Eagles, Loyal Order of Moose,
Shriners, Hoodmen of the World,
Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias.
1t is estimated that the 1899 gaso-
line tax receipts of the Federal and
State governments have passed the
billion dollar mark. an all-time
! high, according to automotive tax
statisticians.
I'm the short space of 20 years
the gasoline tax levy has become one
Of the greatest tax burdens in all
history" Baird H. Markham. direc-
tor of the American Petroleum In
dustries Committee, declares. The
committee is one of several organi-
cations sponsoring observation Of
| this major event in American tax
history.
I'm virtually every State in the
Union gasoline tax receipts now ex-
ceed the total tax revenue from all
taxpayers collected by the State in
the pre-World War period" he stat
ed ITO date $4,000 ,0000 900 has been
paid out by the Nations motorists
in gasoline taxes, an amount which
would provide high-type surfacing
on every mile of main highways in
the whole United States.
when the States first began COL
lecting gasoline taxes, in addition to
motor vehicle registration fees, rates
were l or cents gallon. But it
was not long before they began to
increase these rates, and by 1929
every State was collecting taxes on
gasoline. In 1882 Congress inaugu-
rated the duplicating Federal tax on
gasoline, and despite the fact that
half Of the States have petitioned
Congress to eliminate the Federal
tax, it has been extended repeatedly.
Gasoline taxes now add more than
one-third to the cost of motor fuel.
Motorists and gasoline station
operators well may consider the fact
that gasoline taxes have passed all
reasonable bounds and that the
time has come for the States and
Federal Government to give motor
lists a breathing spell by placing
gasoline taxation on a fair basis
Mr.. Markham continued. Certain
ly the temporary Federal tax should
be removed. and those States which
have pushed their gasoline tax rate.
to such high levels that the revenue
amounts to 40 to so per cent of the
States total receipts, should consider
carefully the possibility of restoring
the rates to reasonable levels.
The more than $1,000 900 900 ir
gasoline taxes to be collected in 1882
will be paid chiefly by persons with
modest incomes Studies indicate
that majority of United States
motorists have incomes of less than
$50 week, yet their annual gasoline
tax burden averages more than one
whole weeks wages. Thus. some
thing like 100000 United States
motorists, earning less than $50 a
week, are economically breathless
one whole week or more each year in
earning sufficient money to pay their
gasoline taxes"