Highways and Highway TransportationChatburn, George R.
History
Highways and Highway Transportation
Chatburn, George R.
Roads; Transportation
The expenses so far are a little more than $6 per person in six years
or approximately $1 per person per year, counting the population of
the United States as 110,000,000. If any one is anxious to save this
expense it can easily be done by a little economy. Refraining from
smoking one cigar a month, from drinking one ice-cream soda a month,
from going to three picture shows in a year, or by allowing the
automobile to stand in the garage one or two Sundays per year.
Practically each state in the Union could easily collect its share of
the match money by a one-cent tax per gallon on gasoline. A score of
states have adopted this method and more will, as by this means the
land which is highly burdened with general and school taxes will be
considerably relieved, and the road tax shifted to the road users. The
man who owns an automobile will not thus have the ultimate amount which
he pays for roads decreased, but the man who does not own an automobile
will be relieved in so far as the gasoline tax is not passed on in the
way of increased charges. But the gasoline tax will not appear on the
annual tax receipts and therefore is less noticeable.
The answer to the question, “should the states continue to match the
Federal Aid dollar?” in the opinion of the writer is, “yes, until the
Federal system of 180,000 miles of road is completed.” This ought to be
accomplished in about ten years.
Most of the Mid-west and Western states pay into the national Federal
Aid fund, as duties, revenue taxes, etc., less than they receive in
the way of Federal Aid. These states, therefore, are the gainers in
the matching process. Even where there is no financial advantage as in
some of the more populous states, there is a psychological advantage
in the stimulus which this money gives toward the building of good
roads. Good, dependable, 365-days-a-year roads must come. They are
demanded by the 10,000,000 pleasure automobile owners and their
30,000,000 additional passengers; they are demanded by the more than
2,000,000 commercial vehicle owners and their 50,000,000 patrons; they
are demanded by the man who lounges along in a smooth-riding silent
$10,000 car; and they are demanded by the driver of the sputtering,
rough-riding, ear-splitting $400 car. Yes, good roads must come, and
the Federal Aid movement begun at the behest and in behalf of the farm
element will continue even if the burdens of building and maintenance
be shifted through the gasoline tax and the automobile license, from
the farm and city real estate to the owners and users of motor-driven
vehicles. With all these influences working it is not likely
legislatures will refuse to match dollars with the Government.
=Financing Highway Transportation.=--There are at least three methods
of financing highway transportation: (1) Individual; (2) Partnership;
and (3) Corporation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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