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Show A DANGEROUS PROPOSAL. Proposed federal taxation of gasoline, gaso-line, to provide revenue for general purposes rather than highways, was recently denounced by framers of the first state gasoline tax law as a dangerous dan-gerous invasion of a state tax field, a threat against the soundness of state and local financing, and unreasonable taxation which might destroy a lucrative lu-crative source of revenue. The framers Loyal M. Graham and C. C. Chapman of Oregon said also that excessive taxation of the commodity or use of revenue for other than highway purposes, was never contemplated. "No single product pro-duct can stand exhorbitant taxation," said Mr. Graham. "I believe the limit has been . reached. . . Because it has worked efficiently is no reason for 'riding a free horse to death.' " As a matter of fact, a number of states have ridden the horse to death and now they are paying for it, in decreased consumption of gasoline, in dissatisfaction on the part of the motorist and perhaps worst of all in growing tax evasion and gas bootlegging, boot-legging, with all the graft and corruption cor-ruption that inevitably accompany it. A federal gas tax would only make a bad matter worse. Legislators with a mania for "adding just one cent more" to the tax had better see th writing on the wall, and let well enough alone. |