The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1920-09-08
Will Benefit
Rural Districts
OPPOSITION TO BABCOCK ROAD
AMENDMENT CAUSED BY
MISUNDERSTANDING.

II dPfn, SCOcK and Home, explains IN a
very concise way the proposed Mime
sofa road law. All of the Minnesota
farm papers are supporting the Bah
cock amendment, but that is not suf-
flcient reason for any individual to
J, bllndly vote for the measure. A little
N ntelligent thinking and study of the
i NJ roblem is advisable, and this article
yfepublished because it enlarges up
'eon some features not fully under
stood
There seems to be widespread
opposition among farmers, to the
adoption of amendment No. l to the
Minnesota Constitution, known more
Familiarity as the Babcock Amend
ment. In view of the fact the object
OF this amendment is to permit the
state of Minnesota to build seven
thousand miles of hard surface roads,
it seems peculiar that there should be
opposition manifested from this
source
We believe a large part of this op-
position is due to lack of full under
standing of just what the Bobcock
Amendment is, just how it will work
and what the effects will be on the
maintenance of the various county
roads. In the first place the adop-
tion of this amendment does not bind
the state of Minnesota to anything at
all. 1t simply permits the state to is
sue bonds for the construction of paw
ed roads.
Zone question frequently asked is
why a constitutional amendment =?
Why not simply raise the tax on auto
mobiles and motor trucks to a point
high enough to provide the necessary
u funds The attorney general of Min
Nsssota has held that any very mater
iaTS increase in the automobile license
to tax. This license fee is held to
be fee for police protection and reg
ulation and constitutionly none of
this money can be applied to the roads.
The money raised by high auto tax
over that required to give police pro-
lection and regulation, would have to
go into the treasury of Minnesota as
part of the general fund. Under the
state constitution the only tax that can
go into the road fund is the mill tax
which law itself is the result of a
constitutional amendment.
''The federal government is now ap-
propriating large sums annually to as
sist the states in road construction,
but the states must match the govern
ment appropriation dollar for dollar.
Therefore as matters now stand the
only federal money Minnesota can get
is sum equal to that yielded by the
g-gne mill tax referred to above. This
4 amounts to $2,800,000 per year. When
became apparent as the law was
d III drafted, Minnesota could not get
a 4 fair share of government road
= money without further amendment OF
our state constitution, Senator Nelson
and Kellogg got an amendment at
tached which provided that where the
constitution of any state prohibited it
from meeting the government appro-
priations for internal Improvement,
or restricted the state from entering
into the construction and improve
ment of roads and bridges, the funds
allotted such states is set aside and
held until such time as the state
will have had an opportunity to
amend their constitutions. In plain
English this means that unless Mime
sofa amends her constitution next
November by adopting the Babcock
Amendment, the opportunity to par
ticipate in federal money will be lost
and the money that should go to Min
nesota will go to other states.
"Whether we could have another
chance to amend the constitution and
Eventually get the government aid is
a question of how the law will be
Interpreted. 1t seems to us very
clear, however that if we refuse next
: November to permit ourselves to is
sue these road bonds and levy spe-
cial road tax on motor vehicles the OPP
portunity to get the government APP
preparation will be gone forever.
"There is also feeling that the
,sscock Amendment will simply per-
nit the development of the highways
for the benefit of JOY riding and will
hold back the development of roads
within the counties The fact is the
very opposite will be true, as all of
the county money can be devoted to
the graveling or otherwise improving
the roads that will lead to the main
highway. In all probability it will not
he NECESSARY for the legislature to
authorize the issuance of any bonds
at all The money will probably be
raised by the auto tax. At all events
+ha issuance of bonds will be entirely
within the control of the people OF
the state working through their duly
elected senators and representatives.
Get this clear. The Babcock Amend,
naent does not compel the issuance of
cents worth of bonds, building or
improving a single mile of road in the
state of Minnesota, if the people pre-,
fer to put the state IN the backward
alass and refuse to develop the roads
:;nr thn money by automobile
asvas and necessary bond issues.
n faAnother objection is that as farm
L 'own more automobiles in proper
In to their numbers than city people,
essauto tax will be unfair to them.
..ss.x tax will be graduated according
- the weight and power of the car.
- sThe THE heavy, high-powered cars are
in ! great majority Of cases owned
within =, the larger cities, so this argu-
mert loses some Of it's force. Experl,
AlASAAS that vyov