Evening star., 1941-05-22
Member Of the Associated Press.
Highway Program Financing

The pubic hearings on CdpIdlll
II. C. Whitehurst's plan for highway
Improvement in the District reVealed'
that, while there. is widespread ap-
proval of the plan itself and of its
detectives, the problem of financing
such a program at this time would
present serious difficulties.
Most of those who testified were
In agreement with Captain White
hurst and his associates as to the
need for improvement of traffic
facilities and few of the spokesmen
were inclined to dissent from the
view that the need is present one.
There was, however, a considerable
body of opinion to the effect that
other needs, particularly those per-
tanning to national defense, might
be more urgent in the immediate
future, and there was also strong op-
position to financing the program
by doubling the gasoline tax.
Opposition to the gasoline tax in
crease is not due merely to the
human disinclination to pay more
taxes, or refusal to face realistically
the fact that improvements cost
money. Before the original imposi-
ton of the gasoline tax, the National
Government, exclusively responsible
for planning and developing the Ma
tional Capital street system as one
of the most expensive in the world,
was meeting its proportionate share
of financing street and highway i'm
provements. The gasoline tax was
proposed as a substitute form of
taxation, to be accompanied by the
repeal of other taxes. AS such, it
was supported by the people Of
Washington. But when the gas tax
law was enacted, the tax became a
new and additional tax, other taxes
for which it was to be substituted
being retained. And instead of going
exclusively into the improvement of
the street system, the tax in effect
became the means by which the
National Government, since it does
not contribute to the gas tax, with
drew altogether as a contributor to
the improvement and maintenance
of the street system
Through the gasoline tax, as in
the case of the water tax and water
system, the cost of street and high
way Improvements has been grad
ually shifted to local taxpayers
and surpluses in the gasoline fund
In recent years have broadened the
uses originally contemplated for the
tax receipts. Those who are oppos-
ing the doubling of the gasoline tax
now as method Of financing high
way improvements made necessary
by the expansion of the Federal City
to meet national needs no doubt feel
that before this increase is approved
efforts should be made to determine
In advance the amount of Federal
participation in the cost of a very
expensive undertaking. Certainly
other means of meeting the cost of
the program should be fully explored.
For, once it is doubled, the gasoline
tax will never be reduced again. 1t
Is not merely the assumption of
heavier taxes to finance a fine high
way program that is being consid-
cred; 1t Is the assumption of heavier
tax burden, at a time when other
taxes are to be increased, that will be
with us indefinitely
Another factor which was men,
toned in the Board of Trade state
ment, and which should not be over
looked, involves the wisdom of
launching such an extensive project
as that envisioned by Captain White
hurst at a time when all the resources
OF the American people, particularly
materials and labor, are apt to be
needed in carrying out the defense
program. Under conditions such as
those which may be expected to pre-
vail in the next few years, many pro-
1ectS which ordinarily would be con-
sldered desirable and urgent, may
have to be deferred.