The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-22
FOR GOOD ROADS
Be S15O,O0O Available From
Motor Car Tax Fund.
Used to Maintain $4,000 Miles
of State Highways.

With the highway on every section
line designated as a county road, the
revenue from the state motor car Ii
cense law will provide sufficient funds
to drag these roads four times each
year. according to figures prepared in
the office of Secretary of State Charles
Sessions. In other words, the $3.50, $50
which goes into the permanent county
road fund this year by virtue of the
motor car license law, is sufficient to
permanently maintain $4,000 miles of
road or 100 county highways north
and south the length of the state and
rs highways east and west the length
of the state
The motor license law is now show
ing in practical manner the benefits
which the state will reap in the mat
ter of good roads. The figures which
of states office are a revelation to the
men who have boosted for good roads
but secured limited results. With the
present township and county road
fund levies, the motor license fund
will supply sufficient money to main
tain every main travelled public high
way in the state.
Funds from the sale of state motor
car license tags is already being used
in many of the counties and next year,
Sessions declares, Kansas will see the
benefits of the united fight for good
dirt roads in this state OF the license
fee of So for motor cars and 81 for
motorcycles, all but Is per cent. OF
the money goes into the county road
fund in the township or county in
which the mac hines are owned. In
other words, s4.25 is RENTED to the
county treasurers on each automobile
license, while s1.70 goes into the road
fund every time motorcycle tag is
sold.
Since the new law has been in oper-
alton licenses have been issued to So
31S automobile owners and dealers,
while tags have been sent to 6,O59
a fund of $178,70S, of which the coun-
ty road funds of the various counties
will receive their share of S150,59
or 50 per cent. of the entire fund. The
balance of $2S,01S was used to pur-
chase tags, pay postage, employ the
stenographers and to meet the general
expenses of the enforcement of the
motor car license law.
And now that the work for this sea-
son is well in hand, Secretary of state
Sessions has begun to figure on the re-
suits of the new law. These are few
of his findings:
The license fund will build 100 north
and south roads and IS east and west
roads the entire length of the state.
Or six east and west and ten north
and south county roads can be main
tanned through each of the counties
of the state. on basis that each
county averages 80 miles square.
This means a county road each five
miles east and west and a road each
five miles north and south. Thus no
farmers would be compelled to drive
more than a mile and a half to a
county road.
Paying 5 cents mile for dragging,
the license fund will pay for dragging
100000 miles of highway. Each road
should be dragged about four or five
times each year. So, the license fund
would easily permit of the perma-
nent upkeep of $4,000 miles of county
highways in this state.
Roads to receive the benefit OF this
fund must, however, be designated as
county highways. In many of the
counties no county highways have
been named. Until action is taken by
counties, the auto license fund will
not be available to the commissioners.
Shawnee county's share of the mo-
tor car license fund will permit of
the permanent maintenance of a coun-
ty highway on every section line, east,
west, north and south, should such
roads be designated as highways by
the county commissioners. To date
Shawnee county has credit for So
343.75 in license fees. At rs cents
tain every foot of designated county
road in this county without extra
expense to the taxpayers except per-
haps for first cost of building the
roads.
In making estimates, as cents a mile
is allowed for dragging roads. Most
of the counties pay but so cents
mile and it is quite probable that so
cents will become the established
price in this state. With this saving
of 25 cents a mile cost of dragging,
the amount of road work in this state
will be increased one-third.
The motor car license department
will be maintained throughout the
year. While the seasons rush is over,
applications for license tags are being
received at the rate of about so a
day and several clerks are kept busy
tabulating the figures and compiling
Most of the applications for |
tags at this time represent the pur- |
81 now oars nv Kansas farmers