Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1916-07-28
AUTOMOBILE FEES
BUILD GOOD ROADS
Motor Car Owners Contribute
More Than 100000 900
in 1915.
GREAT INCREASE IS SHOWN
Funds From This Source Represent
Nearly Seven Per Cent of Amount
Spent on Rural Highway
and Bridge Building.

An investigation by Uncle Sam has
shown that automobile wner of the
United States, through the payment
of fees imposed by various states, now
contribute a large sum toward the i'm
provement of public highways each
year.
Ninety per cent of the registration
and license fees paid in 1915 by auto
mobiliSts to the states, or $16,213 1897,
was spent for the building and MAIN
tenance of county and state roads, ac-
cording to a compilation just published
by the office of public roads, United
States department of agriculture. In
all, 2,445,664 motor vehicles were regis
tered in that year and their owners
paid a total of $1S,245, 713 for registra.
lions and drivers and dealers liz
censes. This is an increase of $5,-
500, 760 over 1914, and an increase of
734,325 in the number of vehicles regis
tered. Automobile fees now defray
nearly z per cent of the total amount
spent or rural road and bridge build
ing, whereas in 1906 the income from
this source was less than three-tenths
of 1 per cent of the total expenditure.
Great Growth Shown.
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 ears were registered
throughout the entire United States.
By 1915, however, 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,O 900
miles of road outside of the incorpo-
towns and cities.
The relation between cars and road
mileage varies widely in different sec
There is only one motor car
for every six miles of rural road in
but nearly six motor cars for
every mile of such road in New Jer-
sey. There is an average of one mo-
tor car registration for every Al per-
sons in the United States. Iowa appar-
leads, however, with one motor
car for every Is persons, while only
one for every 200 persons is registered
for Alabama.
1t must be understood, however, that
the figures of registration do not neces-
sarily represent a total number Of
cars, as some of the states do not
require annual registration, others
group pleasure and commercial cars
and motorcycles in their accounts,
while still other states do not require
of motorcycles.
There is great inequality in the regis
tration fees charged by the different
The average for the United
States was STAG. The state of Ver-
mont, however, secured in 1915 a gross
evenue of $3.50 for each motor car,
while Minnesota received only 80 cents
annually for each ear. In Texas and
Carolina 10 annual registration
fees are collected, the only requirement
being a county fee of so cents and s.
respectively for perennial registration.
Most of the states, however, also levy
taxes on motor vehicles and
this adds Importantly to the public rev.
enue contributed by the wners of mo
tor-propelled vehicles.
All Put Money on Roads.
In the use of fees, however, there
seems to be a general policy of apply
ing the major part of the money col
lected from automobiles directly to
road betterment. In AZ of the states
of the Union all or the major portion
Of the motOr-vehicle revenue must be
expended for the construction, i'm
prOvement, Oh maintenance of the pub
lie roads, or for the maintenance of
the state highway department. In 20
states, all or the major portion of the
net motor-vehicle revenues are ex-
pended by o. under the supervision or
direction of the state highway depart
ment. In seven states one-half to one
fourth of the state motor-vehicle rev.
are expended through the state
highway department, and the remain
der by the local authorities. Many
states in addition to applying license
fees to road construction eXpend for
this purpose a large part of the fines
and penalties collected from owners.
In the number of registrations New
York state led in 1915 with 255, 242
Illinois was second with 1S0,S32; Cali
fornia third with 1853, 797; and Penn.
sylvania fourth with 160,137. In gross
revenues received from this source
however, California led with $2,O27..
432; New York was second with ST..
991,1S1; Pennsylvania third with
$1,665,276, while Iowa, with 1880
cars registered, came fourth in point
of revenue with $1,533,054.