Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-03-31
'Boothe Urges
Cent Rise in
Gas Tax

l NesNA 80
| Mr.. Stanley. who proposes
such Q boost In his inaueura
address four years ago. toda,
labeled It - must In the no
too distant future
Mr.. Doothe. In . letter Il
Gov. Almond. suggested Q spe.
ciAl General Assembly session
to adopt . l.cent increase fol
one year. which he said woulC
yield better than el2 million X
help meet the accelerated Fed.
eral highway program.
The next regular session ir
1860 could take UP the question
Of extending the increase be.
yond one year, he declared.
Special Session Necessary
Mr.. Boothe said that "oi
course, such an increase would
necessitate q special session Of
the General Assembly and spe.
cial sessions cost money"
But he suggested that If the
session were called for the sole
purpose Of passing q bill in
creasing the gas tax l cent fol
one year. land If the members
were asked to accept per diem
pay for the session, the time
and cost could be held to a real
minimum"
Mr.. Boothe, in his letter to
Gov. Almond, said he could un-
derstand the predicament Of 9
governor who did not wish to
raise Virginia taxes but who
was faced with q change In
policy in the administration in
Washington. The new Federal
highway program was proposed
after Virsinia's road budget fol
the next two years was adopted
Sees Net Of 81 Billion
Faced with this new law
you may conclude that regard
less Of the merits or dement's Of
the bill. Virginia must take full
advantage Of the opportunity
Of the act which will in 10 years
time net US more than 81 billion
for road purposes.
Mr.. Boothe said he woulc
support the Governor If Gov
Almond concluded that Vir.
ginia must act to receive the
full $l06 million from the Fed.
eral Government during thu
fiscal year ending July /. 1860
IF we increase the State gas
tax cent for the calendar
year 1859 or the fiscal year
ending July /. 1860. we would
raise enough money to enable
US to match the full Federal
funds for one year." Mr.. Boothe
wrote.
Would End Tlexibility
virginia's highway depart.
ment contends that the pro.
posed congressional plan tc
pour anti-recession millions al
Q faster rate into the State fol
road building would take Just
about all the fiexibiiity out oil
Virsiuia's highway program BY
fiscal 1859.
Highway Commissioner
Francis A. Davis says the real
pinch would come, however, In
fiscal 10000. declaring, Il be.
teve 1t can be said that We
could not with our present rev.
enue match Federal aid fol
fiscal 1e6e.60."
Mr.. Stanley said the situation
might not be urgent enough for
q special session.
Mr.. Stanley said the gas tax
which he recommended in 1854
would have been desirable to
have now. but the General AS
sembly didn't take that view"
! A table Of figures prepared
by the State Highway Depart
ment and released Saturday
on the new Federal road plan
shows that the program would
Just about take all Of Virginia.
highway money by the fiscal
year 1890.
This is because the State
must put UP 10 per cent Of the
interstate system outlay and
match Federal friends for pri-
mary and secondary projects
$3.50.
$213 Million Total
A total Of $2l3 million would
be available for Virginia road
building in the second half Of
the coming biennium - COM
pared with $l35 million this
year. OF the total, $I23 mil
lion would come from the
Federal Government, all but
SIT million Of this for the
interstate system.
After Virginia puts up the
required percentage Of State
funds. the amount Of State
money left for non.Tederal
projects on the State primary
system would approach the
vanishing point, $373.S20.
Three alternatives would
seem TO face Virginia: l. Pass
Up Q portion Of the Federal
money. 2. Borrow money for
highway construction. 3. Raise
the present 8 cents per gallon
tax on gasoline.
The speed-up bill would in
crease Federal interstate money
for Virginia from $40 to ~
million In 1853 and to a
$6S-$l06 million level in
lo5o-60.