Show Rida Riding O MO a Fr e I Horse Hr to t Death I Lo Loyal al M M. Graham of Oregon had a a unique national title hUe The Father of the Gasoline Tax But before belore his death not long ago at the rino pIlo age of he expressed pd cd reservations eX IN 1919 19 lIE HE introduced a billin bill billin billin in the Uie Or Oregon gon J legislatures legislature imposing imposing im im- posing a ta a tax of one vent cent centa venta enta a gallon ga gat gasoline Une the thc first such tax in the nation No uNo one seemed to object to the idea he said because cause it didn't affect affect affect af af- that many people But times and c circumstances changed with willi a a 3 proved by LO Loyal l Grahams Graham's reactions reactions reactions re re- re- re actions to his legislative first as reported in the current issue of Petroleum Toda Today BY 1930 every state in the union had a a gas bas tax lax and the first federal tax came into being being being be be- ing in 1932 And Oregon kept raising its tax When it went to three cents I got scared recalled Graham Graham Gra ham When it rea reached hed five fhe cents I knew Ui the damn thing couldn't be stopped I went down to Salem Oregon's state capitol and fought it hard but it was as no use It It accomplished its purpose at the time but it began to grow and grow Its It's th the tendency tendency cy of the Yankee to ride a free horse to death 4 mT TilE THE PRESENT gas tax in Oregon six cent state and four lour cent federal represents about 40 percent of gasoline's retail price In some states stales the figure is much higher In fact for the country as a whole the state- state federal tax comes conics to price In some states slates the figure is much higher In fact fot for the country as a whole the state state- federal tax comes conies to just about 50 percent of tax tho tax pretax cost of oC regular gas gas- No luxury much less an It car carries r- r ries so heavy an excise Vales Vales' sales tax lax as this To quote Lo Loyal al Graham again Ive never been sorry I wrote that gasoline tax bill It helped put the country countr r on on wh wheels els probably more than any anyone one law But they pushed it il too far for my taste taster It can be added that thal they've pushed it too far for the taste taste of oC just about all the rest of us usand usand usand us- us and there are arc discernible signs of a motorists motorists' revolt More 1 and more drivers are using sing less and less Jess gallons which is a perfect perfect per per- feel example of of the law of diminishing di die diminishing return |