The midland journal., 1916-07-21
SIXTEEN MILLIONS IN AUTO
FEES FOR ROADS.
Forty-Two States Expend The Ma
jor Portion of Motor-VehicIe
Revenues On Highway
Improvement.
Improvement.


213,387, was spent for the building
and maintenance of county and
State roads, according to a COM
pilation just published by the Office
of Public Roads, U. s. Department of
In all. 2,445,6 ,664 motor
vehicles we're registered in that year
and their owners paid total of
for registrations and
drivers and dealers licenses. This
is an increase of $5,S63,760 over
1914, and an increase 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 expendi-
ture.
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
entire 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. 2,375,00O miles of
road outside of the incorporated
towns and cities.
The relation between cars and
road mileage varies widely in differ
ent sections. There is only one
motor car for every miles of rural
road in Nevada, but nearly six motor
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 only one for every
200 persons is registered for Ala
bama.
1t must be understood, however,
that, the figures Of registration do
not necessarily represent a total
number of cars, as some of the States
do not require annual registrations,
others group pleasure and CONNER
cial cars and motorcycles in their
accounts, while still other States do
not require registration of motor
cycles.
There is great inequality in the
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 a gross revenue of $3.50 for
each motor car, while Minnesota re-
ceived only about SO cents annually
for each car. In Texas and South
Carolina no annual registration fees
are collected, the only requirement
being county fee of SO cents and
81 respectively for perennial regis
tration. Most of the States, how
ever, also levy annual taxes on motor
vehicles and this adds Importantly
to the public revenue contributed by
the owners of motor-propelled We
hicles.
In the use of fees, however, there
seems to be general policy of ap-
plying the major part of the money
collected 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 construc-
tion, improvement, or maintenance
of the public roads. or for the main
tenance of the State Highway De-
partment. In 20 States, all or the
major portion of the net motor-ve-
hicle revenues are expended by or
under the supervision or direction OF
the State Highway Department. In
seven States one-half to one-fourth
of the State motor-vehicle revenues
are expended through the State
Highway Department, and the re-
mainder by the local authorities.
Many States, in addition to applying
license fees to road construction ex-
pend for this purpose 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
1SO,S32; California third with 163,-
797, and Pennsylvania fourth with
In gross revenues re-
ceived from this source, however,
California led with $2,O27.432; New
York was second with $1,991, ,1S1;
Pennsylvania third with $1,665, ,276,
while Iowa, with 146,00O cars reg
istered, came fourth in point OF
revenue with $1,5SS,054.