Evening star., 1941-11-16
District Gasoline Tax
Boost May Depend
On Priority Rulings
Commissioners Indicate
Bon on AII-Doy and
AII-Night Parking Neors


sential projects in the s44000,000
Whitehurst highway improvement
program can be carried out in the
face of Government priority re-
strictions will be an important fac
tor in the decision of the special
Senate Traffic Subcommittee TO
recommend either a one or two
cent increase in the District gasoline
tax. Chairman Burton announced
last night.
To get an answer to that question.
Senator Burton plans to confer this
week with both Federal and District
officials. These include representa-
tives Of o. P. NJ, Capt H. C. White
hurst, director of highways. and
Thomas H. Macdonald. commits
sioner Of the Public Roads Admini-
stration.
District officials. meanwhile. in
dicated that ban on all-day or ALL
night parking may not be far in the
future when they reported good
present of street parking facilities.
Young Asks for Survey.
Commissioner John Russell Young
revealed he had asked police and
traffic authorities to make a COM
prehensive survey of existing ga
RACES and the need for off-street
automobile accommodations as
guide for the Commissioners, who
believe street parking might have to
be stopped
The Senate subcommittee, which
was appointed to make a thorough
study of the Districts acute traffic
problems, completed public hearings
last week on two bills recommended
by the Commissioners. One. al
ready passed by the House, provides
for a 2-cent boost in the gasoline
tax to help finance the Whitehurst
program. The other authorizes es-
tablishment of municipality -owned
automobile parking lots on the
fringe of the central business area.
Strong objections were made dur
ing the hearings against any in
crease in the gasoline levy, on the
ground that more revenue would
flow into the special highway fund
than could be spent on projects de-
signed to remedy traffic congestion
in view of the priority rule. In
addition, arguments were presented
that only those highway improve
ments related to national defense
should be carried out during the
national emergency. and that the
Federal Government should share
equitably in their cost, since it is.
in a large measure, responsible for
the existing traffic situation.
Report Is Submitted.
Most of the witnesses who in
dorsed an increase in the gasoline
tax declared 1-cent advance
should be sufficient, If the Federal
Government participates in the
financing the program. A report
submitted by Baxter Smith, chair
man of the Safety Committee of the
Federation of Citizens Associations,
showed that the Federal Govern
ment had definite obligation in
some of the projects. estimated to
cost in excess of $18,O00,000. These
include proposed new bridge across
the Anacostia River in the line Of
South Capital street, extension OF
Independence avenue from Four
teenth street to the Lincoln Mem
orial. and the improvement Of other
approaches to the Memorial Bridge
by widening of streets.
The issue as see it is what part
Of the Whitehurst program is i'm
mediately essential and its relation
to priorities," said Senator Burton.
Another important question Is
whether the program is to cover a
IL or 20-year period. A 2-cent in
crease will complete 1t in IL years,
and a 1-cent tax will prolong it for
20 years. The answer to these ques-
tions will have bearing on whether
the subcommittee recommends l.
or 2-cent increase"
Senator Burton refused to indi-
cate the subcommittee's probable
recommendation with respect to
fringe parking lots, but he did say
he formed an opinion during the
hearings that one contribution to-
ward solution of the traffic prob
lem would be GENERALIZATION of con-
troll over traffic. That, however, he
pointed out, lis an administrative,
not legislative problem"
The Senate subcommittee expects
to complete its report within a week
or 10 days. Meanwhile, q subcom-
(ses TRAFTIC, Page A-6.)