El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-10-21

Hu4EAo OF LeEas should forget that November
comes the most important Of the states bond elections
the one TO decide the fate Of proposed issuance Of
S5o0O0o worth Of bonds for the construction Of hard
surfaced roads into every county OF the state.
Although good roads experts, members Of the legis-
ature and Others have endorsed heartily the project
the end tt It to be looked upon favoriby By
o. those who have given it any thought at AL the fact
remains that me property owning public who VII vote on
this issue ought to know what it is al about.
Details OF the bond issue have been worked ont BY
koLn J. Windrow state highway engineer, who has pre-
pared figures the issue These figures based
On seal bonds which to be issued at not than
S5oo00 year and to so years and four and
issue at the erd Of "a years.
takes the taxable valuations for the past 20 years
and assumes the increase Of taxable values be no
greater during the next a years than they been IN
the past 90 this notwithstanding that every indication
that TIE increase Of valuations in 1920 those in 1917
VII equal Is percent.
his table, however, Mr. Windrow figures that the
increase generally expected in 1920 VIII not really have
matured until 1885 Based these very conservative
valuations he shows that the highest of taxation to
the s7ooo0o0 bonds VIII be reached in 1885 when
the rate VIII be 2 s cents the 500 Of property val
uaton The average rate for the entire period Of a years
he figures at II cents on the sfoo valuation.
Should the proposed constitutional amendment be
adopted en- November g. and the entire S75OoooOo be
issued within IS years the taxpayer who has $4,000 tax
able values VIII pay this bond issue approximately the
amount which is contributed the road fund by
the owner Of average automobile.
The taxpayer who pays $4,000 property valua-
uon would contribute approximately s975 per year the
good roads fund. The Of average automobile
pzys license fee into the road fu16 Of about SO He
also pays ad valorsm taxes approximately 800 value
the automobile which would to 70 cents On the
road held ISSUE according TO Mr.. Windrow, tota, of
S025 which goes directly INTO the construction ana ma
Of state roads This against the s975 for the
same purpose paid by the owner Of $4,000 worth Of
property
very interesting comparison Of the taxes nov paid
By automobile with those paid BY the Of
other property has been prepared by A. c. Baldwin
ager Of the Coed Roads state campaign.
He takes basis 500 the average assessed val
nation Of an automobile The state and county ad valore
this is approximately IS, CT which Is cents goes
into the road and bridge und The average license fee is
about So half Of which goes into the road fund Of the
county, thus making total contribution to local roads
and bridges Of s575.
Tie taxpayer Who owns 500 worth assessed vaIua-
tom Of any other kind Of property pays S. ad vaore
bridge fund. Thus the Of automobile pays into
the county treasury S575 against the Is cents paid by
his neghbor who nay have the money invested IN land
other property The improvement Of roads increases the
value Of the property Of the who pays only IS cents
toward this improvement against S575 payment
from the pocket Of the automobile whose benefits
derived from that expenditure at present fair but
hard to estimate IN terms Of cash
table has also been prepared by Mr.. Baldwin show
ing that the waste Of equipment used for transportation
road amounts IN Texas TO about S100o00000 year,
i've times greater tsn all state taxes collected including
thar 1or scloels i IS estimated that Il would cost not
more than S5o00occo0 TO every state highway IN
Texas thus showing that in the matter Of waste proven
tsn alone good roads would pay dividend Of not less
than 20 percent
C. n avery state highway commissioner, has drawn up
statistics TO show that It costs 80 cents ton mile to
toanage the ordinary country road and that It costs
only cents ton mile to tonnage over hard sur
faced road whether It be concrete wood block brick, OF
Of other material On this basis Of saving and careful
census Of movement that exceedingly busy thorough
fare called the Meridian Highway, from Wichita Falls to
ert Worth and San Antonio the savings to be effected
BIZ building concrete OF other hard surfaced road would
pay ever percent million dollars per mile M
Avery figures