Evening star., 1952-02-03
District Rushes Work
On Bill Requesting
Cent Boost in Gas Tax
By John w. Steep

4%AOIA ANt y 4C6oA oOeNAA AAOFSS
to finish drafting legislation on
gas tax increase sometime this
week.
Corporation Counsel Vernon E.
West said yesterday he assigned
two of his assistants to the task
as soon as he received the COM
missioner's order of last Thursday.
The present box is four cents.
The city heads had specified
that all efforts be exerted to get
the legislation prepared so that
the case for the flve-cent tax
could be presented to Congress
In the shortest possible time.
Road Funds Sought.
On the tax increase hinges
much of the funds necessary to
finance the Districts new $140
million 10-year highway plan. sub
mitted to the Commissioners by
Brig. Gen. Bernard L. Robinson,
engineer commissioner. who also
proposed the tax rise.
Assistant Corporation Counsels
Robert F. Kneipp and Irving
Bryan are working on the tax
measure itself. as well as on a
justification report to be presented
to Congress.
The District Highway Depart
ment. meanwhile, has announced
its willingness to confer with
spokesmen of the petroleum in
terestS here. No date has yet been
arranged for discussions, but
Highway Director John N. Robert
son said it will be soon.
Third Rise Since 1924.
Authorization of the scent gas
tax would mark the third cent
per-gallon hike since Washington
got its original two-cent tax in
1924.
Before that year, the Highway
Department derived all its money
from the general fund of the
District budget.
AS highway needs increased,
with the rising amount of auto
mobile traffic, more money had to
be forthcoming, despite the fact
that in 1897 Congress Jumped
revenues from the gas tax, regis
tration, license and driving permit
fees into a joint fund. This, how
ever. was to maintain not only
the highway department opera
ton, but the Office of Motor We
hicles and Traffic and certain ex-
penses required by the Metropoli- |
tan Police in the regulation and
administration of highway traffic.
Expenses Mounted.
Ever-growing expenses became
such that in t942, the 1924 gas tax
law had to be amended to provide
an additional penny-per -gallon.
This amendment was to apply
until 1851, but with the advent
of World War II the use of auto
mobiles declined so sharply that
city income from the three-cent
tax actually came to- less than
previous revenues from the pre-
vious two-cent tax.
Construction of urgent highway
projects due to National defense
needs, moreover, drained the
highway fund to the extent that
by the end of the war the fund
was without a reserve.
AS consequence. Congress ap-
proved another gas tax increase
to four-cents in 1947, with the.
proviso that after June 80, 1852,
the rate would return to three
cents PEI gallor
June Deadline q Factor.
The June reversion deadline is
the big reason that the city heads
cite for expediting the latest tax
boost request.
In his report last Thursday,
Commissioner Robinson pointed
out that unless additional revenue
is produced the Highway Depart
ment will be unable to cope with
the problem of highway needs.
I'VE are at this time faced with
not only vast backlog of neces-
sary street improvements. but with
additional and more costly work
of q capital nature which the
growth of the city and the in
creased use Of the motor vehicle
has made imperative" Gen. Rob-
inSon reported.
The sweeping extent of the pro-
posed new highway plan for the
city underscores his warning.