Milford chronicle., 1955-04-01
Two More States Take
Steps To End Road
Fund Diversion

Two more states-Montana and
Tennessee are now in line to
follow the example of the 25 states
which have already adopted con
stitutional provisions outiawing
diversion Of highway tax revenues
to non-highway spending. Such an
amendment is now pending also in
Delaware.
Commenting on the action just
taken by these two state legis-
latures, r. S. Zinn, Chairman Of
the Associated Petroleum Indus
tries Of Delaware declared:
This is but further evidence Of
the present day trend for more
and more states to subscribe to
the principle that highway taxes
must be used only for highway
purposes, and that a constitutional
provision is the only sure way to
protect such funds from being
syphOned of into other directions
Mr. Zinn noted that the proposed
amendment to the Delaware con-
stitution, now being considered by
the Legislature, was recommended
recently by Governor BOggs as
a means of ending a fiscal practice
which has given Delaware the
doubtful distinction Of being zone
Of the four worst diversion states
in the nation.
He declared that the highway
revenue figures compiled annually
by the U. S. Bureau of Public
Roads show that Delaware is in
far greater need Of an anti-diver-
sion amendment than either Of
these other two states.
MOntana's total diversions, over
a 30-year period, he said, totalled
only $780, ,000-less than half as
much as the $3,161 900 that Della
ware diverted in 1852 alone. He
noted that Delaware's diversion
that year amounted to 40 cents out
Of every highway tax dollar col
lected, which was, percentage
wise, the highest in the country.
Tennessee's total diversion since
1924 has averaged II per cent Of
the states total highway revenue.
and in recent years has amounted
to less than 5 per cent. In contrast
to this, he said, DelaWare's total
diversion amounted to 90 per cent
on a 20-year average, and in re-
cent years has gone as high as 40
per cent.
The Montana Legislature, in Civ
ing its approval TO the cOnstitu-
tional amendment, has provided for
the question to be submitted to the
voters Of that state at the 1856
general election.
The Tennessee Legislature has
met the cOnstitutiOnal-chan re-
quiTements Of that state by approv-
ing the measure at two successive
sessions, and now has only to go
through the formality of adopting
a supplemental resolution to set
the time for a popular vote on the
question, probably at the next
gubernatOFial election in 1858.
Mr.. Zinn said that although the
Delaware law does not require
a constitutional amendment to be
submitted to a vote of the people,
there would be little to fear if it
did. He explained that in the 25
states which now have such a.
mendments, the voters registered
their approval with overwhelming
majorities. He cited as examples
the voting in Idaho, ~ to i;
Pennsylvania, 6.5 to / /: West Vir-
ginia, So to 1; Massachusetts,, 4.9
to i: Maine, New Hampshire and
Texas. all better than 4 to 1.
Minnesota in 1920 was the first
state to write a highway fund pro-
lection clause into its constitution
and during the years prior to the
outbreak Of World War III, ten
other states took similar action.
Since then. IA other states have
adopted such amendments and the
list is constantly growing.