Evening star., 1946-10-20
Gas Tax Boost
Held Vital To
MeetD Needs
Whitehurst Asks
Cent Increase to
Roise $1,500, 600
By John W. Thompson, Jr.

ing on the suggested tax boost.
Capt. Whitehurst said his de-
partment wants TO spend $8,947 ,649
during the year beginning next July
J.. During that year, however, the
highway fund is expected to yield
only $6,790, 900 at the present levy
or cents gallon.
Larger Income Sought.
The one-cent increase is estimated
to raise an additional $500 900.
This figure plus an expected carry
over of 1861 900 from the current
year would enable the department
to meet the proposed expenses with
something left over, ne indicated.
, The gasoline tax now provides
about IS per cent of the income of
the highway fund which pays all
| highway and traffic expenses and
a portion Of police salaries. If the
increased tax is enacted, Capt.
Whitehurst predicted it would pro-
vide about n per cent of the high
way fund in the period from 1949
to 1855.
In 1941 the gas tax was raised
from two to three cents a gallon
for 10-year period to finance a
prewar highway expansion plan. It
will return to two cents a gallon
in 1851 unless new law is enacted.
Rationing Cut Funds.
This last increase in the levy be-
came effective in February, 1912, all
most at the same time that ration.
Ing cut down the use of gasoline
The amount received from the
gasoline tax was less with the three
cent tax in the period immediately
preceding the war than it had been
with the tWo-cent tax" Capt.
Whitehurst declared.
Fridays hearing will cover three
proposals made to the Commission
ers last August by the special tax
committee headed by Corporation
Counsel Vernon E. West. These
are:
l. Increasing the present tenn
porary tax of three cents a gallon
on motor fuel to four cents perma-
nently.
2. Doubling the so cent motor We
hicle inspection fee and requiring
trailers of 1000 pounds or more to
be inspected at the new rate.
3. Increasing the fee charged
buses operating over fixed routes to
one-half Of the fee charged buses
not so operating. Buses using de.
fined routes now pay only s12 license
fee-no more than the heaviest
ordinary passenger car-while those
operating freely pay registration
fees based on their weight In adj
dition the latter also pay 500
license fees and personal property
taxes. Mr.. Vests report said.
Registrations Unchanged.
Capt. Whitehurst said that al.
though the automobile inspection
program was supposed to carry it
self, it has not. And. he added, it
will not be self-supporting at the
present rate of expenditure, even
with the doubled fee, unless the
number of motor vehicle registra-
tions here increases or the work can
be done by the present staff at
present cost estimates.
He said it was disturbing" that
registrations here have not in
creased since the war as they have
in other places
increase in 1945 as compared with
1914 was II per cent" he told the
Commissioners in a financial report
on his program, while local reg
istration showed decrease of 1913
per cent"
In another section of the report
the highway director also revealed
that since 1910. when the District
began to receive Federal aid in
highways along with the States, a
total of S14,380 $50 in Federal funds
has been turned over to the city.
District Matches Funds.
The District has matched most
of this on a dollar-f for dollar basis.
Money spent on "access and strate-
gic highways" carried a higher per-
centage of Federal payment, how
ever. and some $843. 1888 in railroad
grade separation construction was q
complete Federal grant, the report
showed
This was believed to be the first
time a total figure on Federal grants
to the city for highways has been
announced.
At present the District is taking
part in a Federal three-year postwar
highway development plan which
brings in $2,974,6o2 year in Gov
ernment money to be matched by
the city.
Next years budget for the high
way department carries nearly 81
100000 in matching funds for the
second year of the Federal program,
Capt. Whitehurst indicated. This,
plus an increase in other expenses,
plus having to keep available the
money for the South Capitol Street
Bridge now under construction, has
made the 1948 fiscal year a critical
problem in financing" he said.
Need of Tax Boost Cited.
Without the tax increase on gaso-
line, he said. "it will not be possi-
BILE to meet the obligations that
have been set up" ...
Among the items in the three-year
Federal postwar program are the
Circle underpass, the twin
bridge replacement for the old High
way Bridge and the K street ele-
waited highway.
Although materials and labor
costs have gone up and highway
in the city has increased
from 900 miles in 1880 to $50 miles
this year, the report said there has
been no increase in the money. for
street and bridge maintenance in
IS years.
"In fact the amount received in
1945 was even less than that re-
ceived 10 years prior to that time"
Capt. Whitehurst declared.