Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1920-08-20
TRUNK ROADS NEEDED
CONTINUED from Page ~

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cock when delegation after delega-
ton from different sections of the
state appeared before him to secure
more roads and better upkeep of
present roads.
Senator Lee has argued to you for
a different amendment. But when
we are sick we go to doctor, and
when we are hungry we go to a
hotel and when we want to know
how to solve this road problem we
go to an engineer. And when the
plan is all worked out, then some
lawyer or some man back in the
country comes forward and says "No,
your plan is all wrong, let me draft
the bill" Be plan ever so perfect,
there are always those who say a
thing is wrong unless they think of
it first themselves. Down in the
senate we have what we call "sen-
satorial courtesy" Senator Lee here
represents two counties, and 1 am
sure it can be arranged that Pope
and Douglas counties can build all
their own roads without any help
from the state if they want to.
Senator Lee has argued entirely
about hard surface roads, and yet
there is not one word in the amend
ment about hard surface roads, and
Mr.. Lee is a member of the legisla-
ture, and he knows it,
Senator Lee has also said that we
received money from the cement
manufacturers. We did, and we do
not deny it but any citizen can find
out the source of every penny con-
tributed to the Minnesota Highway
Improvement Association. When
this bill was passed, the legislature
made no appropriation of money to
pay the expense of informing the
voters on the merits of this amend
ment. We had no money and so we
came here to Stevens county and got
some. You gave us all we asked.
And we went to other counties and
got some. And just as you go to
people who have money when you
are raising money for a church or
anything else, so we went to the CO.
ment manufacturers because they had
the money. Is there anything wrong
about that? The real question is
the amendment. The money we have
to build roads with is insufficient.
Shall we make the autos pay or shall
we not?
"I have briefly mentioned in my
remarks how very securely the con-
stitution of this state has prevented
the legislature from making any d.
rect appropriations for road and
bridge purposes for no matter how
urgent may be the demand we are
tied up in the most stringent man
ner by our constitution.
SIS A YEAR PER CAR
IT am satisfied it was the thought
of Mr.. Babcock that new fund must
be created and more money secured
if we we're to take care of the in
creased crop production of Mime
sofa, if we were to meet the demands
of enterprising citizens of the state
for greater development and about
the only way which he could secure
additional funds was by constitu-
tional amendment, which is known as
the Babcock Plan or Amendment No
1.
This, while adding another article
to the constitution which will be
known as Article 16, permits the leg
islature to tax motor vehicles on a
more enormous basis than other per-
sonal property and it has been the
plan of the highway commissioner
that an average tax of SIS per car
per year, would secure sufficient
funds to properly finance this ex.
cellent road project. This automo
bile tax will be distributed accord
ing to weight, horse power and value
of the car.
After describing in Amendment
No. 1, seventy different routes, the
Legislature is given certain powers
among which are the following
When IS per cent of this system il
built and sufficient funds are avail
able, other lateral roads may bt
taken into the system. 1t is the
opinion of many members of the leg
islature that this fund, provided By
tax on automobiles will in due
course of time be the means of TAX
ing care Of not only the trunk line
system but the entire road system Of
the state, thus diminishing or en-
tirely doing away with the money
now used through township ant
county officials.
SEES 100000 CARS IN 1925
''This fund can we'll be anticipated
in the near future as being suficien
for all road building projects, whe1
you take into account that in tn
past year the automobiles have in
creased nearly 10000, and with tn
future wears free of anv war nno