Henderson daily dispatch., 1943-12-04
Automobile Revenues
Surprisingly Strong;
Gift Taxes Increase
Daily Dispatch Bureau.
In the Sir Walter Hotel,
BY LYNN SISRET

Raleigh. Dec. 3.-Whilc the total
general fund revenue Of three and
thrcc-quartcr million dollars collect
cd by the State during November
doesn't make much showing az inst
the nearly 26 millions taken IN March
when Income taxes were due, the
81 ,852 ,088.53 general sales tax re-
cciptS runs Il close second the all
time record set in January of this
year. which reflected Christmas trade
IN December. and amounted to ST.
D92.352.33. II represented IN increase
of Sl20. 406.l8 over receipts from the
anne source in November of last year.
The monthly report issued by the
State Department Of RcvC"uc Friday
indicates th-t total general fun re-
ccipts for November were about half
Il million dollars above he same
month last year. For the first five
months of the fiscal year the in
crease over the same period in 1912
vas million and thrcc-quartcrS.
Very substantial gains were shown
n sales tax and franchise tax COL
lcCtionS. while privilege AID bcvc-
rage taxes fell far below last Nov
,mbcr. The general fund items Of
inheritance and gift t.XcS, the only
two that depend entirely upon chance.
present opposite trends. Inheritance
receipts dropped from 81 To 80 thou.
sand. while gift taxes jumped from
Dnc Ia seven Thousand dollars.
On percentage basis. though actual
amounts are relatively insignificant.
gift taxes show the greatest increase
over November OF last year (about
800 and the miscellaneous item
shows the greatest percentage drop
from II cents last year to nothing
his time, That item is the catch
Ill for occasional collections that can
OF be fitted into any of the regular
y established schedules.
Despite all the warnings about i'm
bending dis Stcr unless motoring was
curtailcd. Tar Heels used more gaSu-
line in November. 1913. than in Nov
cmbCr. 1912. Receipts from the re-
Sular gasoline tan and inspection
fees amounted tO Sl69,793.67 more
last month than for the same month
last year. But for the first five months
IF the fiscal year there was q loss of
ia thousand dollars.
Tho motor vehicles dep rtmcnt re-
ports Il decrease in sale of license
plates and collection of title fees as
compared with November of last
var. but this loss was more than
made up by increases in drivers
license receipts and bus and fran
chisc taxes. Tho motor vehicles dc
partmcnt reports total increase Of
more than eleven thousand dollars
for the month and nearly III tboii-
sand for the five months of the fiscal
year.
Jumping all together collections i'm
the revenue division. gasoline divi-
sion and motor vehicles. the conpa-
rativc report shows an increase over
November last year of $500. 62l. 81.
md for the first five months of the
fical year an Increase of S1.T5O.O75.-
30 over the comparable period last
year.
The chief element Of surprise in
this showing lies in the gasoline and
motor vehicles figures. The sales tax
have an element of STIR
price for many who had expected q
decline in that bracket: bat
many others enthusiastically expected
the trend that has been maintained
With respect 10 gasoline and motor
practically everybody year
ago predicted continued declines.
Once again II is pertinent To OBJ
serve that the last legislature vas
both right and wrong. II was right
when II followed the governor re-
;e.!!!l.e!ld1I!I. III 44srIa-cd appro-