When making a purchase at an ordinary store and the final bill comes out to a sum 6 percent higher than the indicated price, one might ask, "What's that for?" "That's the sales tax," is the common reply and we're only slightly irritated.

Now suppose gas stations advertise the price at $3.76 per gallon (about what the retailer is getting now) but a fill-up final price on the pump would be 75 bucks with the added tax of 10 cents per gallon obscured, the same as any other retailer. The state would get their feared tax increase and the public is tickled with $3.75 per gallon gasoline.

George B Wroe, Glyndon