The Wilmington morning star., 1947-07-23
MOST STATES ARE
ENACTlNC TAXES
Tax Increase Due To The
Higher Cost OF
Government
BY ALFRED E

United Press Staff Correspondent
CHICAGO - W.H - The cost OF
government has risen, too, SO
most states are enacting new tax.
es, according to the Council Of
State Governments.
Legislatures met this year in
every state except Kentucky, and
almost all Of them have adopted
or are considering highr budgets.
At least 20 have changed tax laws
to increase revenues, the council
said.
Initiation has boosted the cost Oh
construction and as a result has
cut down postwar public works
Although many staes accumulat'
ed surpluses during the war, the
council said, most OF them have
dwindled because Of higher costs
and wage increases.
Many states have postponed
public works projects until prices
level off.
The most popular way Of rails.
ing more state money is by Gig.
arctic tax laws this year. Six es.
tablished new taxes and eight
raised the old cigarette taxes.
Minnesota became the 36th
state to tax cigarettes, adopting
a th%ree-cent per pack tax. Indiana
and Michigan previously had
adopted the three-cent levy.
Montana and Nevada passed
taxes of two cents per package,
and West Virginia enacted a one,
cent levy. Maine adopted a 20 per
cent tax on tobacco products,
while Arkansas, Connecticut,
Kansas, Nevada, New Mexico,
Pennsylvania and Rhode Island
raised previous cigarette taxes.
At least eight states raised tax
es on liquor, wine or beer, the
council reported. They were Al
kansas, Connecticut, Idaho, Min,
nesota, New Jersey, North Caro-
lima, Tennessee and West Virgin,
ia. The. added revenue in NORTH
Carolina will be absorbed by I
20 per cent pay raise granted by
the legislature to state employees
Four states passed sales taxes
bringing to q the number. o.
states in which some form o:
sales tax is being collected. Sale!
taxes were enacted by Connect
cut, Maryland, Rhode Island ane
Tennessee. In Oregon the legisla'
ture passed a proposal to submit
the sales tax issue to the voters
this fall. In Massachusetts, legis
lators are considering a sales ta1
recommended by the governor.
Last year, state sales tax rev
enues totaled more than 1 1000,
600, 600.
Seven states increased tax rates
on gasoline. They were Colorado,
Maine, Maryland, Michigan (on
marine fuel), Nevada, Rhode Isl
and and Vermont.
Several major cities have taken
steps against parking lot price
gouging and mishandling Of auto
mobiles, according to the Inter.
national City Managers Associa-
ton.
Ten big cities now have string.
ent parking lot regulations, the
association said. Several others,
including Buffalo, Kansas City,
New York, Oklahoma City a n d
Jackson, Mich, are considering
rules to prevent parking lot pi.
racy.
Several cities already require
parking lots to take out licenses,
Some require parking lot attend
ants to be registered and licensed
Others require that parking lot
operators be bonded to protect
customers against theft or dam
age.
The license fees vary widely. Ir
Kansas City, the fee is 81 per
year per car capacity. At Toledo,
O., fees range from S. a year fol-
lots 1880 square feet or less te
$35 for lots 5000 square feet. De-
troit levies a fee Of IS per year for