Evening star., 1951-10-22
"a States This Year
Put Bite on Public by
Boosting Their Taxes
BY the Asseeiaied Press.

BY the Associated Press.
State taxes skyrocketed in 1851
During the year lawmakers ir
"a States put the bite on the pub
lie for more than $3.50 million ir
new levies, and more are to come
Taxpayers In Pennsylvania, Mis-
souri, and Massachusetts, still are
waiting to learn their fate. The
three legislatures are begged down
in tax programs.
Pennsylvania's budget for the
1951-53 biennium is $120 million
in the red. Missouri has bills
pending that would provide an
other SIG million for highways.
To help meet rising costs,
Florida even put tax on "cour-
tin" candy (the kind that comes
in boxes and costs more than SO
cents. But most Of the new
revenues will be collected from
the time-worn favorites-taxes on
sales, gasoline, cigarettes, corpora
tions and trucks.
Georgia Leads i'm New Taxes.
Here are some of the facts on
new State taxes as reported in an
Associated Press national survey:
Georgia topped all the States
In levying new taxes in 1851, pass
ing a new 3 per cent sales tax ex-
pected to yield $100 million a year
for a net annual revenue gain of
$40 million. Emergency taxes
passed in 1949 and yielding $50
million were repealed.
Other big tax increases were
enacted in Michigan ($49 million)
Illinois ($40 million), South Caro-
lima (s34 million), Texas ($28
million), New York ($26 million)
Wisconsin cut its income taxes
about $40 million by eliminating
q IS per cent surtax enacted in
1949 and stands to lose about
$500, 900 a year by cutting out q
3 per cent tax on Wisconsin cor
poration dividends paid to out-of-
Staters.
New Hampshire Poll Tax.
Connecticut's Legislature voted
to continue a 2 per cent sales tax
for two more years. The levy
yielded $34 million during the
fiscal year ended June 80, 1851.
New Hampshire reversed the
trend to abolish poll taxes and
levied IS head on all adults over
81. It is expected to yield $1,275.-
900 a year. There also were rev.
enue increases on tobacco and
liquor, designed to raise 81 million
year. These measures were
passed after a per cent sales tax
was defeated on two occasions.
Vermont also increased its poll
tax from $3.50 to SO. figuring the
new rate to produce an additional
100000 6 year. A / per cent
sales tax was defeated.
But in some other States law
makers accepted the sales tax as
the best answer to their financial
problems:
Names new 2 per cent retail
sales and use tax became effective
July !. It is expected to yield
$11 million. Food and fuel are
among the exempted items. Col
lection Of the State property tax,
yielding about $5.5 million will be
discontinued next year.
Michigan Revenues Boosted.
-, South Carolina inaugurated a
8 per cent general sales and use
tax on July 1. expecting it to re-
turn $34 million.
Alabama increased its sales tax
from two to three per cent. effec-
tive October l. The revenue, es-
timated at $40 million. will 60 for
schools.
The whopping $40 million in
crease in Michigan revenues will
come from new gas tax yielding
about $50 million, a 81 million in
crease in truck license fees, and
a SIS million rise in the State cor
poration privilege tax. thus boost
ing the tax on major auto manu-
facturers as high as So million.
The principal new revenue rails
ing measure voted in Texas will
yield about $28 million. It levies
q tax at the rate of four and one
half mills per 1000 cubic feet on
natural gas gathered into trans
mission lines.
Revenue From Big Trucks.
Illinois increased its gasoline
tax from 3 to cents a gallon
on August /, and the levy will rise
to s cents January /. Revenues
are expected to rise $40 million
to over 500 million. All of the
money is 10 be spent for road
construction and maintenance.
New York States three baior
revenue producing bills of the
year were aimed at big trucks.
Gov. Dewey's administration
sponsored them as part of a plan
to make the heavier trucks pay a
higher proportionate share of the
cost of construction and main
tenance of highways on the theory
such vehicles do the roads most
damage.
The bills:
Impose weight-distance tax on
loaded or unloaded weight o1
trucks Of more than 5000 pounds
LOST
BICYCLE-American (Engiish type), greer
and chrome: Reward. EN-. S242. -2t