Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1919-01-15
ROAD PROBLEMS OF The STATE
Continued from page 4

of financing the constitutional road
system in Minnesota. It is proposed
to make the user of the road pay the
major part Of its construction cost.
In other words to make the automobile
owner-the most immediate and d.
rect beneficiary Of highway improve
ment-pay the bill.
But there is no reason for him to be
come frightened because it is not
proposed to increase his burdens ma
terially or to compel him to do more
than to directly put up the money ne
cessary. While he is doing that, we
propose to relieve him Of other bur
dens of taxation so that while he Is
financing the trunk highway construc-
ton, other people are relieving him
of other burdens which he would have
been forced to carry.
This is done by eliminating his mo-
tor vehicle from taxation as personal
property. The loss In revenue, by
eliminating the motor vehicle from
the assessment roll, will have to be
made up by a higher levy on other
assessable property and in this way
every taxpayer in the state will indi-
rectly share In the cost of building
the roads.
Tax on Autos.
AS to what tax will be fixed on mo-
or vehicles, I am not in position to
state because the same has not yet
been fixed. It has been pretty we'll
determined, though, that we will have
a tax based on three propositions,
namely, horse power, weight and age
Of the machine. There will probably
be three classes of licenses applying
to first year, second year, third year,
and older cars. This is necessary to
make allowance for the depreciation
in a car commensurate with the al
lowance now being made when car
is listed for taxation as personal pro-
perty. The basis Of horse power and
weight taxation has not been fixed
yet but it is pretty certain that the
average on all cars in the state will
have to be in the neighb0rhOOd OF
$18 or $40 per Car.
You undoubtedly have noticed that
have made no mention of the amount
of bonds to be sold. This purposely
has been left from the amendment.
The Trunk Highway system is fixed
proposition as to extent and the money
of the bond issue can be used for no
other purpose than to finance the I'M
provement of the roads in the system.
Therefore. it is presumed that It the
people want to create this system and
place upon the state the duty OF main
tanning the same, they will not hand1-
cap the state by not providing suff1-
cient money, a thing which might &C.
cur il limit on the bonds were fixed.
Estimate Of Cost.
A liberal estimate Of the cost OF
construction of the entire system
places it at $100,000,000 in round fig
ures. From this is to be subtracted
any moneys received as Federal Aid
from the National Government. The
present indications are that the FEEDER
al Government will appropriate at
least $1O0,000,000 annually for this
purpose. II this sum is distributed
on the basis the present Federal aid
funds are apportioned, Minnesota Will
receive $2,850,000 annually, or $685.
100000 in the ten year building period.
This would mean that the amount OF
bonds needed would be $71,60O,0O0,
But the amount of the Federal Aid
is something that Minnesota cannot
control and that is one of the reasons
for leaving out Of the amendment the
limit of bonds. If seventy millions Is
all that is needed in addition to the
Federal Aid, why frighten people by
fixing a limit of one hundred million?
On the other hand, what would be the
result il the limit was fixed at seven
ty millions and then Federal Aid fail
ed to materialize in the amount anti
cipated?
Let it be specifically stated that the
people are asked to create this Trunk
Highway system and provide enough
money to improve and maintain 1t,
and that the people, through their
Legislature, have full control OF every
dollar expended and have the right to
see that every dollar Is properly ex-
pended.
Are You For It?
This is plain statement of the Bah
cock plan. believe that it Is the most
Straightforward, practical, business
like plan for road Improvement ever
recommended to the people OF any
state. If it is approved by the people,
every dollar invested in the roads
will return hundred fold. AS Alvah
Eastman editor of the St. Cloud Jour-
nal Press, says, "1ts worth billion
dollars to Minnesota"
Are you for It?
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