Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1916-07-28

BIG PER CENT OF AUTO
FEES USED FOR ROADS

Ninety per cent of the registra-
tion and license fees paid in 1915
by automobilists to- the states, or
$16,213,387, was spent for the
building and maintenance of county
and state roads, according to com
pilation just published by the Office
Of Public Roads of the department
In ali, 2,445,664 motor vehicles were
registered in that year, and their
owners paid a total of $18,245,713
for registrations and drivers and
dealers licenses. This is an increase
of $5,S63,76O over 1914, and an in
crease of 734,325 in the number of
vehicles registered. Automobile fees
now defray nearly per cent of the
total amount spent on rural road
and bridge building. whereas in 1906
the income from this source was less
than three-tenths of / per cent of
the total expenditure
The growth of the volume of fees
and registrations is noted by the fact
that in 1901, New York, the first
state to require fees, collected only
1854. In 1906 only $4,000 cars
were registered throughout the en-
tire United States. BY 1915, how
ever. the number had jumped to the
figure given, so that there is slightly
more than one motor car registered
for each of the 2,375,0O miles of
road outside OF the Incorporated
towns and cities.
The relation between cars and
road mileage varies widely in diff
ferent sections. There Is only one
motor car for every six miles Of rural
road in Nevada, but nearly six mo-
tor cars for every mile Of such road
in New Jersey There Is an average
of one motor car registration for
every A persons in the United
States. Iowa apparently leads, how
ever, with one motor car for every
16 persons, while one for every 200
persons is registered in Alabama.
1t must be understood, however,
that the figures of registration do
not necessarily represent total num-
ber of cars, as some of the states
do not require annual registration,
others group pleasure and CONNER
eial cars and motor cycles in their
accounts, while still other states do
not require registration Of motor cy-
cles.
There is great inequality in tho
registration fees charged by the diff
ferent states The average for the
United States was $7.46. The state
of Vermont, however, secured in 1915
gross revenue of S18.fO for each
motor car, while Minnesota receiY.
ed only about so cents annually for
each car. In Texas and South Caro-
lima no annual registration fees are
collected. the only requirement be-
ing a county fee of so cents and 81,
respectively, for perennial registra.
tion. Most Of the states, however,
also levy annual taxes on motor We
hicles. and this adds Importantly TO
the public revenue contributed by the
owners OF motor-propeiled vehicles
In the use OF fees. however. there
seems to be a general policy of ap-
plying the major part of the money
collected from automobilists directly
to road betterment. In 40 of the
states Of the union all or the maj
portion OF the motor-vehicIe revenue
must be expended for the construc-
tion. improvement, or maintenance
of the public roads. or for the main
tenance OF the state highway depart
ment. In 20 states. all. or the ma jof
portion. of the net motor-vehicle
revenues are expended by or under
the supervision OF the state high-
way department. In seven states
one-half to One-fouTth of the state
motor-vehicle revenues are expended
through the state highway depart
ment, and the remainder by the 10.
cal authorities. Many states, in ad-
dition to applying license fees ia
road construction. expend for this
purpose large part OF the fines and
penalties collected from owners.
In the number of registrations
New York led in 1915 with 255,242:
Illinois was second with 180.832;
California third with f63.797: and
Pennsylvania fourth with I60.137
In gross revenues received from this
source. however. California led with
S2.027.432; New York vas second
with $l,991.IS1: Pennsylyania third
with S1.665.276. while Iowa. Will
$4,000 cars registered came fourtr
in point Of revenue, with s1,533,054