Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-26
THE POCKETBOOK NERVE
Motorists Side


q vast new bodybuilding program.
Hardly anyone win argue any
more that the Federal share Of
the program can be financed any
way except through Federal excise
taxes.
Hardly anyone viii argue that the
bulk Of the expense should not
be borne by highway users.
But q significant dispute does
exist over which users should pay
what share.
The American Automobile Asso-
citation has simple proposal:
Heavy trucks should pay their fair
share Of the cost Of highway con-
struction.
The Triple A Is not out to get"
the trucks-though the million
motoring families represented by
the AAA might feel this Il unwar-
ranted restraint. It is merely that
some trucks to q certain extent
are free-loading on the riding pub
lie, and the AAA plans would even
up the burden.
Truck Troffic Costs
State surveys have shown that
heavy truck traf1lc increases the
cost OF highways by about so per
cent. For instance:
o A subcommittee Of the California
Legislature estimated heavy trucks
should be paying 50 per cent Of the
cost Of the States highways: 90
tually they were only paying IS per
cent.
. A survey Of Ohio. Minnesota and
Louisiana highway construction,
conducted for the Michigan State
Legislature. showed that In each
State, heavy trucks were responsible
for 40 to 81 per cent Of pavement
construction costs.
. In Ohio, that report said. only
"a per cent of highway maintenance
costs were found to have no rela-
tionship to size and weight Of traf-
&c. while 46 per cent of total main
tenance costs could be attributable
oUiCAy w A1CaNACA VI uGhc.
Would the tax money from heavy
trucks pay its fair share under other
proposed highway expansion pro-
grams?
No. Large trucks now pay only
23.2 per cent Of the Federal excise
tax money that would 60 for the
new road building program. Pas
senger cars and light trucks pay the
rest-more than three-fourths Of
these present taxes.
Does the Triple A want to soak
those heavy trucks? No. Not at all.
The association recommends only
that the large trucks increase their
share by three percentage points,
asa per cent.
BoIoneed Program
The association actually Is not
welded TO any specific figure on
tax rates, extent Of the road build
Ing program or time Of construction
and payment-although 1t has rec
commended q balanced program Of
construction and financing to Con-
gress.
The vital point. the one the AAA
Is not willing to compromise on.
ID that the principal of equitable
sharing Of expense should be
adopted in the Federal program.
Almost all States already have
adopted this principle. They have
sliding-scale tax rates on various
items that vary with the weight
or size Of the vehicle.
Truckers. who know q good
thing when they see it. indorse
the Unconstitutional" tax theory.
That means the owner Of NAM
moth tractor-trailer rig will pay
the same excise tax rate on the
pounding tires he sends out on the
public highway as will the private
motorist in his light car.
Strangely enough, the heavy
truckers are confident their across
the-board plan will be approved by
Congress. The reason for the con-
hdence goes back TO last year when,
according to Capitol Hill news re-
ports, the truckers lobby scuttled
Q highway construction bill because
they thought the cost to truckers
would be too high.
This year the truckers are going
along with the vital programme
quested by President Eisenhower
and Endorsed by both parties--as
long as the financing plan is
across the board. The outlook then
Is for trucker-approved bill or no
bill.
The heavy truckers defend their
position by saying roads would have
to be substantially the same
whether heavy trucks run on them
or not. But the United States
Bureau Of Public Roads in a pub
lication. "A Factuai Discussion of
Motor Truck Operation. Regulation
and Taxation" points out that
highways Travelled by heavy trucks
must have more height on over
pass and underpass structures,
must be wider in traffic lanes and
bridges. must have specially de-
signed curves and must have
heavier road foundations, bases and
pavements.
The AAA presents fair scale of
Federal excise taxes, all revenue to
be devoted to the highway con-
struction program.
The suggested taxes follow:
Rots Of Tex
Gents
Type OF Tex Present Proposed
Gasoline tper soIJ z IN
Diesel lper sol.) z
Tires, light 5 6
tper b.
Tires, heovy--------- 5 10
tper lb.)
Inner Tubes, light 8 10
tper b.
Inner Tubes. heov--- 3 IA
tper lb.l
Retreod Rubber, light 0
tper 3D.
Retreod Rubber, heovy-- O s