The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1920-08-18
Redwood learns
Of BabCock Law
T. ]. CATION EXPLAINS MAIN
FEATURES OF AMENDMENT
TO. BE VOTED ON IN
NOVEMBER.

The good roads meeting held at the
Redwood Falls Armory last Thurs
day evening was most educational. Z
j. Cation of St. Paul was the speaker
and was very clear and definite in his
explanation Of Amendment No. l or
which the vote will be taken at the
coming November election.
Mr.. Cation, in opening his remarks
said that traffic had increased to such
an extent that better roads are abso-
lutely necessary to cope with the stu
alton. AS the auto and auto truck
traffic increase better surfaced roads
will become necessity. The type OF
roads of the past will not meet the de-
n1ands of traffic of the present day
The question now comes how to re-
lieve the situation.
The speaker went into the details OF
the Babcock good roads plan, which in
a way he stated was plan to relieve
the county from part of the burden
of good roads work, and yet not pre-
vent the counties of the state from
keeping up their good work on feed
ers to the trunk lines, which it is pro-
posed to build in this state. He stated
that the proposed trunk lines of 1000
miles will run through every town OF
1000 inhabitants or more and will al
so pass through every county in the
state. In order to raise fund for the
carrying out of this plan it is propos-
ed to tax automobiles. The average
taxation ,in lieu of all other taxes on
autos, under the Babcock plan will
come to about an average of $18 per
care With 100000 autos in the state
of tho fiY,on Tho cn0oIor i6
that it is easy to determine the vast
fund which could be raised in this
manner. He said that the amendment
calls for the issuance of bonds by the
state if necessary to meet the require
sof the opinion that the state would
never have to issue bonds, for the tax
alton on cars would create vast fund
of proposed trunk lines throughout the
state. Mr.. Cation said that the tax on
autos will be based upon horse pow
er and weight of cars and will be in
lieu of all other personal property tax
on autos. In addition to the fund to
be created by the imposing of a tax
on automobiles, the state would each
year be entitled to federal aid. Under
the plan the heavily populated cen-
ters will pay the greater portion of
the tax, because there are more cars
owned there.
The speaker laid particular stress
upon the fact that the thickly populat-
ed centers of ST. Paul, Minneapolis and
Duluth will be called upon to pay the
major portion of the expense, for
there are more auto owners in those
centers. Mr.. Cation said that it was
no more than right that the people of
those large population centers should
bear the greatest burden Of mainten-
ance of such system of good roads,
for they used the country roads as
much as anyone else.
Mr.. Cation laid stress upon the fact
that the Babcock plan does not inter-
fere but assists greatly ordinary road
building. 1t provides for the state
taking over, and for ever maintaining
part of the roads of each county, while
the other roads can be improved under
the old plan. This will make money
available for the feeders of the trunk
lines proposed. In closing the speak
er urged the necessity of forming or
ganizations in each township, village
and county in the state for the pur-
pose of educating the people on the
provisions of the babcock plan.