The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1913-10-15
IMPROVEMENT
OF HIGHWAYS
Numerous Financial Reasons
For Proposed Improvements
NO TAXES ON REAL ESTATE
Farmer Escapes, While Nearly All Of
the Interest on the Proposed Bond
Issue Will Be Paid by Corporations
and Automobile License Fees.

and Automobile License Fees.
Reasons for voting for the Good
Roads amendment to the constitution
Bnd building the roads, exist in al
most infinite variety; but of reasons
to the contrary no valid or even
plausible ones have been shown. In
this connection a few facts may be
interesting
With nearly seven billion dollars
worth of property, Pennsylvania real
estate pays no state taxes, and the
State has no debt. Sixty-eight per
cent of its population live in its cities,
boroughs, and other centers, leaving
but 32 per cent on the farms. The
State has an area of approximately
$4,000 square miles, 100000 miles OF
roads of different classes, or about
2.2 miles of road to each square
mile of land.
The revenues of the State, out Of
which will be paid the interest and
amortization charges on the Good
Roads loan, are derived mainly from
tax on the capital stock and the
gross receipts of corporations, some
licenses of various kinds, a variety
Of fines and penalties, The automobile
registration tax and some other items.
The farmer, therefore, nor the real
estate owner, will pay a dollar OF
the cost of carrying a road loan, and
the people who will pay 1t all are
very greatly in favor of the PROPOSE
tion. Their taxes will increase, but
not in rate. The great enhancement
of business, caused by the improve
ment of the roads, will naturally in
crease the gross receipts, on which
the corporations will quite cheerfully
pay the added tax.
On the other hand if the constitu-
tional amendment be defeated at the
polls, the defeat is almost certain to
be followed by the levy of a direct
property tax. The absolute necessity
for the improvement of the State
Highways will force action on the
subject; and while no additional taxa
tiOn will be necessary to pay the car
rying charges on an issue of bonds,
in case of the failure of the bonds the
only recourse will be to direct taxa
tion to get the amount of money
necessary to go ahead with the work
of highway construction.
This danger is not one to be pooh
poohed, nor laughed at. Last fall the
voters of Ohio defeated a constitu-
tional amendment providing for a
bond issue for road purposes; where
upon the Legislature at the following
session, responding to the insistent
demand for highway improvement,
enacted n law levying direct tax
on real property for road purposes
for a series of years. If the consti-
tutional amendment had been carried
at the polls the extra direct taxation
would not have been necessary.
The proposition should appeal to
the business intelligence of every
citizen of Pennsylvania. With the
roads improved over the State so that
every producer can haul his products
to market at a minimum of cost, and
when il suits him, the agricultural in
terests of the state will prosper and
grow rich; both on account o the
money saved in the haulage and by
reason of the fact that the farmer can
market his products at his own in
clination, instead of being Obliged to
haul when the roads are passable;
and this invariably occurs when there
is shortage of cars, congestion
of markets and low prices.
Among the corporations which pay
revenue to the State of Pennsylvania
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company
stands as the leader. 1t makes the
largest individual payments Of any
firm or corporation. Since its organ
izatton the company has stood uni
formly in favor of highway improve
ment, and has many times assisted,
with influence and money, in their
construction. Ii has always been and
still is the view of that corporation
that the development of commerce, by
reason of highway Improvement, is an
important factor in the material prog
ress of a state and its institutions.
In the fourth annual report of the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company, page
8, dated December 81, 1850, occurs
the following paragraph:
"The plank roads from Bedford to
Hollidaysburg, and from Somerset to
Johnstown, with numberless kindred
improvements under construction or
in contemplation will aid in swelling
the receipts of the mother work (The
Pennsylvania Railroad) to which they
owe their existence, and in develop
ing the dormant wealth of Pennsyl-
vania."
The company still maintains the
idea that the construction of improv-
ed highways is in line with the de-
velopment of Pennsylvania dormant
resources; and with this development
must come more business for the rail-
roads, and a greater accumulation
of wealth by the people.
Not only must the quality Of the
soil and improvements be satisfactory
ln tba man who wants IN huy a farm