The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-03-19
PEOPLE SHOULD DEMAND
DEFEAT OF THIS MEASURE

Pending in the Tennessee legislature is a bill providing for a
bond issue of 100000 to be used in the construction of state
highways.
This bill ought to be defeated, Every owner OF an auto
mobile, every farmer and every taxpayer Of every description has
a vital interest in the defeat Of this measure.
Nobody seems to know where the bill originated. It is
freely stated that certain cement manufacturers are suspiciously
active in the passage OF the bill
Tennessee does not need this bond issue. 1t has about all
the bonds it can carry at present. The state does need good
roads, and it is building good roads.
The money available for the state highways amounts to
about 100000 annually. There is something like $l,600000'
available from the federal government under the Bankhead bill,
which enables counties to receive from the government, upon
the fuliIEment of stipulated conditions, an amount based upon
that spent by the counties. There are a state tax OF one mill
for road purposes and the automobile tax. Other revenues.
produce an amount larger than the state is now spending, and
larger than it can spend judieiously and to good advantage.
The proposal to tax automobiles 81 for each horsepower is
the principal reliance for the revenue to pay the interest on the
proposed $500o0000 bond issue. 1t ought to be called an anti
automobile bill" '"
If the bill passes the state will have the indebtedness as a
permanent obligation. The next session OF the legislature may
decide that 1t were better to raise the interest and sinking fund
from some industry other than automobiles. 1t might be placed
on the farms through which the roads pass The tax might be
placed anywhere. ,~ r-s. ....
The one absolutely certain thing is that it will have to he
raised, and Il it is too heavy for the automobile owners to bear,
and If it reduces the number of automobiles. then other vehicles,
perhaps buggies, wagons and other things, will be compelled to
produce. the revenue.
The junketing committee that went over the state in the
INTEREST," of the $5o0OoOm highway bond issue is the only com
mittee IN the history OF the state that ever went out at the
expense OF the people to try to work up sentiment in behalf of
a measure. The deliberations Of the committee were confined
to this one bill, There are other bills in the legislature on the
same subject, but they were not mentioned, so far as we are
advised, by any member Of the committee at any meeting.
1t seems from all reports that the committee was most
obhgng in the location Of the routes of the highways. 1t may
surprise some to know that the bill provides for not less than AZ
public highways in the state to be constructed under the pro-
visions Of the act,
Wherever the committee sat the local interest announced
that 1t was exceedingly anxious to haye two or three roads IA
its town Many members of the legislature are being appealed
to on local interest to support the bill, and the argument that
the state is about to make a big appropriation and a eoodlv part
is to be spent in certain counties may cause some of the repre-
sentatves to overlook the burdensome debt because of the
advantage TO be received locally. But it is a short-sighted
opinion, and the people should not forget that after all thew
must pay for the roads.
We trust that the Memphis Chamber OF Commerce, the
Automobile club and the people of West Tennessee generally
VIII make a vigorous protest to their legislators, and urge them
to kill this measure.
The point that we wish to impress the country people with
is that while the tax for next year may be raised from the
owners OF automobiles it is within the power of the legislature
to raise it IRON any other source in the future.
We take it that the people in the towns and cities will
oppose the measure to begin with, but If it should be passed
the next legislature might decide that the owners of automobiles
should have some relief, and might extend the scope of the
source Of revenue.
With the state already receiving as much money as can he
legitimatety spent on highways, the prospect Is that an additional
amount, such as proposed, would mean that a good many mil
lions would be squandered, and the people would witness an
extravaganza u%nequaled since the government built the powder
plant at Nashville.