Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1917-04-12
Road Arguments
And Answers

not say that the auto license tax
shall be used to pay the interest and
retire the principal OF the bond Is
sue.
. Ans-The bill does specifically
mention the auto tax, as it directly
refers to House bill 509 and says
that the revenue derived from that
source shall be used to pay the in
terest and principal.
Statement II--Even II the legisla-
ture did pass bill doubling the auto
license tax, the supreme court may
hold that unconstitutional or the
next legislature may change it, or
pass a law to use that fund for other
purposes.
Ans-The bond bill is to be passed
by the people and it refers to the
auto license tax The supreme court
is not liable to hold unconstitutional
an act which the people have passed
on. The people of this state are
Jealous Of the right to regulate their
internal affairs. The sentiment for
good roads Is growing stronger and
will Increase more rapidly as use de-
termines the much greater advan-
tages ever dreamed of. Instead Of
obstructing the movement for good
roads, public sentiment will soon be
Overwhelming for retaining all adopt
ed means of bcttcrment. In a per-
feet democracy the people rule in leg
islation, and improved methods will
never be discarded Good laws are
never repealed Right thinking leads
to right acts; right acts to satisfac-
tory results. Future legislation will
strengthen, but never annual an act
that will contribute so much to the
pleasure and profit of the people.
Statement III-The bonds issued
by the state are a direct mortgage
against my farm and II the bonds
carry the farmer being the producer
has 1t all to pay in the long run any
way.
Ans-Bonds issued by a state are
not lien against the individually
owned property of that state. They
are notes issScd by all the people and
if the state failed to pay as some
states have, the holders of the bonds
could not bring suit against individ-
ually-owned property. The farmer in
some states is the producer and
would pay anything in the long run,
according to some method of think
ing; but he is not the producer in
this state, as over so per cent of our
food products arc imported ard tim.
Der is the heaviest producer and ex-
porter here.
In one sense the farmers have paid
and continue to pay for the pave
ments on Portland streets f)r all are
taxes against the earning capacity OF
property and goods sold including
dry goods, groceries, even sugar bears
its portion of the burden which Is as
sossed as a part Of the overhead ex-
pense of conducting business and
must like all other necessary i'm
provements be ultimately paid by the
public and no class is exempt frcm
its burden The question that is par
amount to all others is how long will
the farmers help pay for city I'M
provements which city people daily
receive untold pleasure and profit
and kick against building roads for
the country which will be more large.
ly built by city people than even the
city streets?
Statement IV-The bond bill says
that interest shall be paid when due
out of any funds the highway CON-
mission has on hand, therefore, all
the people pay instead of the auto
owners.
Ans-That is true, but the bill also
refers to House bill 500 as the source
from which such revcrue shall be
derived. Anyway the county of Multi
nomah pays 81 per cent of the state
taxes, the towns and cities pay 50
or 81 per cent of the whole tax, leav
ing the farmer, the timber owner
and all the corporations to pay the
balance, 80 per cent. It has teen
estimated that the farmers share does
not exceed 15 per cent of the total.
The farm lands along improved high
ways increas in value from 20 to
200 per cent, in some cases, rs in
the southern tier of counties in New
York state, from $50 per acre to
$3.50 an acre and that in ten years.
Some farmers like to bite their nose
off to spite their face. Nh, farmer
receives more benefit from good
roads, owing to the low cost of haul
ing, than any other class of perpie
avon If he did not wish his nroDertr