The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1913-10-08
WHO is TO PAY =
FOR THE ROADS?
What Will the Cost Be TO
the Farmer?
FARMER PAYS FOR BAD ROADS
No State Tax Is Levied on PennsyIVa-
mia Real Estate, Special Licenses
and Direct Taxes on Corpora
tlons Provide the Funds.

Whoever may pay for building good
roads, the Farmer pays for the bad
roads and pays dearly. He pays in
the sweat of his brow; in the wear
and tear on horse flesh; in the dam
age to vehicles and other equipment.
He pays in the coin Of the realm for
the unnecessary time consumed by
employees and he pays in the starva-
tion of his finer social and religious
sentiments resulting from the isola-
tion which bad roads enforce at GER
tain seasons. Yes, the farmer pays
an excessive price for the bad roads.
There are states in the Union where
one-half, or one-third or one-fourth,
or one-eighth, or some other frac-
tion of the cost of highway improve
ment is taxed against the abutting
property. This method is a relic OF
ancient times when travel was large
ly local. Under modern conditions,
where traffic is general, its injustice
is apparent.
Those should pay for improving the
roads who derive the benefit from
them. Modern travel has so revolu-
tionized the use of the roads, that
the main roads, particularly, become
a matter of state concern. 1t is true
that every mile of state road serves
q purpose in the accommodation of
local travel; but its use as q main
road makes necessary more expen.
sive type of Improvement than the
local travel would require; and its
Importance as through thoroughfare
becomes paramount.
There are very few states in the
Union where no state tax is levied on
real estate. Pennsylvania is one OF
them. BY reason of its large cities
and great industrial interests other
sources of revenue make the levy Of
such tax unnecessary. Consequent
ly the Pennsylvania land owner, who
pays not a dollar toward the support
of the State and its institutions, is
much more fortunately situated than
are the citizens of other states where
practically the entire cost of state
administration and state institutions
falls on the owners of the land.
The farmers are the persons most
directly benefited by the improvement
of the highways. Their land is ma
terially increased in value when these
roads are built. They will save the
money, some twenty million dollars
a year in Pennsylvania, which unim-
proved roads cause to be wasted.
They, in fact, are the most immediate
benefciaries of broad scheme OF
road improvement which gives them
a statewide system of good roads for
which they do not pay a dollar.
The revenues of Pennsylvania are
made up of from eighty to one hun
cihc taxes, about twenty represent
various licenses; there are variety
of fines and penalties, and some fees
and other incidentals, but by far the
great bulk of the money comes from
the various taxes on corporations;
OH CdDlldl nlOihi Ou dlO 6lObo
receipts; on corporate loans; on for
eign insurance companies, etc. Prob
ably the heaviest tax payer of all is
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company,
which, since its very inception, has
been an advocate of highway Inn
provement, and is now strongly In
favor of the Constitutional Amend
ment which will permit the issue Of
bonds for the construction Of roads.
In the first report of the Treasurer
of the Railroad Company in 1854,
stress was laid on the advantages
gained by the company from the
building of wagon roads to the cost
of which the railroad had contributed.
1t is from these revenues that the
cost of carrying the fifty million dol
lar loan will be taken. The reason
why the corporations do not object
to the loan. in the fear that it will
add to their taxation, is that the In
crease in business, in commerce, in
production and in transportation
brought about by the construction of
improved highways will be so great
that any possible addition to their
taxes would be but trifle in compar-
ison. The tax on gross receipts where
the increase would mainly be, is n
tax which any corporation is willing
to see increase, as 1t means a cor
increase in business and
greater profits.
Automobile registration fees have
been increasing in leaps and bounds.
They were six hundred thousand dol
lars last year and will be eight hun
dred thousand dollars this year with
every indication that they will reach
one million, two hundred thousand
dollars next year. With the building
of good roads more people will use
for every trade and pro-
fession. Already the motor trucks
are dominating the heavy hauling
business in the larger cities. It is
not at all improbable, taking all the
factors into consideration, that in
three years more these registration
fees will again double and long be-
fore the bonds for the last OF the
fifty million dollar loan are issued.
the automobile registration and other
fees will pay the entire amount of its