The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1920-09-23
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Charges of "Class Legislation in Pro-
posed Amendment No. Are
Entirely Unfounded.
Only Right That Motor Vehicle Be
Made to Bear Its Just Proper
ton Of Road Expense.

For the reason that the highways
provided for under the terms of
Amendment No. / are to be paid for
out of fund obtained from licensing
motor vehicles there are those who
contend that the project constitutes
"class legislation" Yet they say that
some system Of highways must be
adopted in the state. The theory of
taxation advanced by the trainers of
the Babcock plan is that the article
taxed should bear its just and true
proportion of the expense of installa-
ton and maintenance of Improvement,
and there is certainly no t'c1ass legis-
lation" about this. Here are some
statistics which hit hard this "class
Legislation" charge:
According to the July report of the
National Automobile Chamber Of
Commerce, just made public, there is
one automobile to every 84 persons,
and Secretary Of State Schmahl's Of
fee gives a total Of 316,368 auto Ii
censes issued in Minnesota up to Sep
TENDER of this year. In 1909 there
were 10000 licenses issued. In ten
years there has been an Increase Of
297 ,638 automobiles. On December 81,
1919, there were 2OO,88O licenses is
sued for the year.
In compiling statistics it was found
that the average family consisted of a
little more than four persons. Using
this as a basis it will be seen that
there is an average of one motor We
hicle to every two families in Mime
sofa.
Perhaps the greatest growth of the
use of motor trucks is to be found
among the farmers and people en-
gagged in the transportation of farm
products to the market. A farm bu-
reau report made public recently de-
clared that the majority Of farm prod
ucts were handled by gasoline power
at least twice before they reached the
consumer.
Tax returns in Minnesota show that
only rs per cent Of the motor vehicles
registered are owned or operated in
st. Paul, Minneapolis and Duluth.
These returns show that 40 per cent
of the total number are owned outside
the Incorporated city or village limits.
Less than 10 per cent of the pro-
posed 1000 miles Of trunk highway is
within the city and village limits of
the state, and not one inch within the
limits of the three cities Of the first
class. Therefore 80 per cent of the
total receipts Of the 60 per cent city
and village owned motor vehicles will
be expended on the system in the open
country.
In view of the fact that the horse
drawn vehicle is rapidly becoming a
rarity in the districts that are more
densely populated, and the motor We
hicle is taking its place, it would only
seem right and just that the motor
vehicle be made to bear it's Just and
true proportion of the expense. That
is the principle behind Amendment
No. 1. For the thousands of miles of
good roads that it makes possible in
the state it taxes the users of these
roads.
Statistics carefully kept by the
government show that the horse
drawn vehicles do not harm roads,
but that motor vehicles do.
Summed up, then, Amendment No.
1 can only be considered 'sclass legisla-
ton" if by "class" is meant that class
which eats, wears clothes, grows and
seels foodstuffs or in any other way
conducts itself as rational, comfort
loving people.
Constitution Day.
The 18th nf Son+on,ho, - No..4;4,,