The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-10-22
MELTING OF OPPOSITION
GOOD ROADS PLANS MEET
ING WITH APPROVAL
How the Money Will Be Dis
tributed; Purpose of the
Amendment

Asserting that scattered opposition
is fast disappearing as the propose
s ton Is correctly understood. Senator
L. H. Nord, secretary of the volun-
tary campaign organization, Is pre-
dieting the adoption 'of Good Roads
Amendment No. /. ...
Minnesota taxpayers realize that
the roads must be kept passable,
which ever. plan is adopted, and that
the big question first on the pink bal
lot Nov. 2. is simply whether Amend
ment No. 1 will be passed to allow
automobiles and trucks to pay part of
the expense" said Senator Nord.
From Where Money Comes
Good Roads Amendment No. /
will furnish $4,000, 900 a year of ad
ditional road money without increases
in road taxes or big issues of bonds.
which otherwise will be necessary.
Motor vehicles licenses will yield
more than S6,300,009, and the full
allotment of federal aid will be OBJ
tainable. That money will be used
mile trunk highway system. : 1t will
permit engineers state, the proper
maintenance first of every mile. and
also each year the graveling of 400
miles and the hard surfacing of 200
mlIes on which traffic is so heavy
that gravel surfacing is too expen
sive. .
Counties Towns Gain More
County and town roads will bene-
At to the same or greater extent
under the proposed plan," said Sen
ator Nord. They have less than
S17,e00,000 this year, exclusive of
bond receipts, and the biggest part
is being spent on main roads. Under
amendment No. /, the counties and
towns will be supplied with more
than s15,000,000 of current funds
all state aid and tax revenues-to use
on local roads alone. Because of the
lighter permanent improvements of
all roads left to the counties and
towns.
Under the new plan more than
S25,00e,00e will be provided every
year for work on the basis of present
road taxes, and the full federal and
state aid appointments. i is gen.
orally appreciated that greater sums
must be spent on the roads and 1t is
just as plain that If Amendment No.
/ is defeated, road taxes must be
raised and bonds issued and charged
against the land-to the regular tax
payers.
Auto Owners Offer Help.
While the average tax payer is OPP
posed to higher taxation of roads, the
the automobile and truck owners are
willing to pay higher license fees If the
Dr0cRQ6S m hn ~
are satisfied that their savings on
car depreciation and upkeep, especi-
ally on gasoline and tires, will return
them cash gains every year besides
assuring comfortable, all-year going
The man who votes mo- on Amend
ment No. 1, says in effect to the
motor vehicle owner: Keep your
money and we will pay more road
taxes and struggle along"
Citizens taking that stand are few,
the senator added, and do not under
stand the proposed plan, having list
ened TO Misrepresentation They
are under false impressions that
Amendment No. will mean whole
sale of state roads. big bond issues
to be paid off by taxes on land, and
So forth, while the contrary is true,
as made plain in the fore going.
las for the bond feature" conttnu.
ed Senator Nord, Amendment No. /
limits the amount of road bonds to
ls0.O00,O00 year and total of s75,-
OO0,OO0 Outstanding at any time. But
a law authorizing county commits
stoners to issue total of more than
S20,OVO,0OO or road bonds without a
vote OF the people will be of no ef-
feet after the day Amendment No. /
takes force, If 1t is adopted. So it
cannot be said that the proposed plan
is backed by scheme to float a big
bond issue 20
Features Carefully Considered
All these features were carefully
considered by the legislature of 1919
with the result that the members be
came convinced that no better plan
could be framed and voted almost
unanimously to present Amendment
No. to the voters. The legislative
endorsement In itself should influence
the average citizen to support the pro-
posed plan If he is unable to obtain
detailed information Every com
munity now has residents we'll in
formed on the plan, however, thew
offered"
Printed explanations of the plan
VIII be furnished and questions answ :
cred gdirect by mail If sent to the
Minnesota Highway Improvement as
ISOLATION, 1925 Merchants Bank Build :
ing. st. Paul, according to the an
nogncement of that organization
Also, many newspapers In the stare
are conducting question departments
he