Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-21


A compromise proposal for
a ag-esnt per gallon tax may
WIN favorable consideration ut
HEARINGS due to open tomorrow
hescre the House Ways and
Means Committee
Cangrpss RESPONSIBLE
Responsibility for averting
delays rests clearly with Con-
ErssS-- Mr. BCughi1 said And
! aeMEEs We should let the high
Uay Uze-x pay for highways,
MT OGher taxpayers.
He made the statement after
consulting with both Bureau OF
PuAI5c Roads and Virginia State
ErrhWav officials yesterday. His
cusr1ss followed an announce
-Enr from Richmond that the
State Highway Department
would not advertise any more
interstate road projects for bids
until ii Is certain Federal
Matching funds win be avail
Rh1s-
Asked for his assessment Of
1hs Sru8rlCn- Mr. Bruyhi1 said
the sctlCn Of Virginia highway
C=cIalx appeared necessary.
Virginia. IN anticipation Of
90 per cent Federal aid. already
has committed more money
than the State can provide, he =
said Some s3S million now is
sureSseahIe TO take care Of a
1rulecdeG $40 million IN high
way projects for the current
fiscal year
$500 Million Short
Language IN a Commerce De-
lar1-en1 appropriations bill
TINS session restricts Federal :
interstate aid to money actually :
available from Federal taxes
ON gRs. tires. trucks and buses. ,
Ths highway trust fund filed .
HT these taxes viii have $500 :
-LT5cn less than States had
sxuec1e6 10 spend this year. I,
Under the Interstate pro- 6
grS-- the State contracts for S
ahe work and each month the Z
contraction submits a bill The \
STATE pays the bill, then sends b
4 vuuchsr To the Federal Gov
sru-elT saving how much the +
Fe6fTal Government owes. Q
Ber1ran D. TaIamy. Federal t
highway administrator, has a
said the Federal Government r
probably viii have to hold up
Tsx payment Of its share be- r
cauze Of tine appropriations bill v
feSaTE5lGn- v
Wu Cease Signing :
Until there are sufficient {
Fedsral funds to assure proper [
pay-en1 on schedule, the State
HIGHWAY Department will cease
Signing contracts.
A State spokesman said that {
UNLESS something Is done oy 7
July 81 the State Highway De- I
nRrdmen1 also will defer re-
G1ssalng bids for seven primary l
highway iohs. nine secondary '
road projects and one urban '
pruIscI as well as the inter- {
saR1E highway projects.
He said all Federal aid prof.
se9S-n0E lust Interstate con- q
s1ruC1DGn-are geared to re- '
cs1pGS IN a Federal trust fund.
Virtually all highway conStruc-
Tim IN Virginia is done with {
Fs6er8I aid
No Exact Data
BIr- BruFhiII said neither
Federal nor Virginia officials
CuGlG tell him exactly what
eU1hack would be applied to
S1aTE projects Projects for
Wh1ch Virginia said bids would y
be withheld include the cir ,
eurrfsrentIal highway near I
Washington 4
we don't know what claims $
frun other States nor what
CLAIMS Of OUTS viii be honore0,"
he explained. We only pre-
su-e that the $500 million '
shortage will mean at least Is S
pEr cent less IN Federal grants
10 Virginia until spring, unless
Congress acts"
Disturbed by the call to halt
hlGsx ON the $50 million WASH
unguun crcumferentiaI high
way Mr. BruyhiIl asked high
way officers If they could not
reeFTVE oiiS- at least. until the
Fe6ersl funding picture cleared.
He was assured that contracts
would continue to be prepared.
Negotiations for rightS-of-way
f1r tine hIg IGop around the city
VIII 20 On
with congressional action. the
erCE-fsrent1aI projects start /,
Eg dates might be delayed a
few months, but the completion ;
Targets could be met. Mr.. Broy- ,
mi sand without congressional: !
BG111n- completion could be at
least a year late. he estimated
ANY delay IN the circum-
PERENNIAL could be disastrous [
heeauSF We are 50 far behind
NOW he stressed. Highways |
an over the region must be
hKl11 60 Ink with each other
nj the sane time or our trans
PrrTa5DCn VIII be hopelessly {
tangled" u