Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-10-22
competent and your citizens more
honest than they are in Oregon.
Oreuon's Success Proves Merit

competent and your citizens more
honest than they are in Oregon.
Oregon's Success Proves Merit
/ made frequent use of the phrase
self supporting highways, and /
stated that 1 was opposed to taxing
real estate for constructing and
maintaining a state highway system.
1 have called your attention to the
fact that the owners of motor vehicles
in the state of Oregon have assumed,
and are discharging, all of the obi
cations of the state for the construc-
ton of its state highway system, and
that this is being done at a less cost
to themselves than it costs to own
motor vehicles in other states where
the old taxing systems are still in
operation. This is what / meant by
self supporting highways, that is,
highways that ara constructed and
supported entirely by the traffic using
them.
THE experience in Oregon for the
past five years should be satisfactory
proof of the practicabflity and ad-
vantages of this method of financing q
state highway system, and i have nc
doubt that motor vehicle owners in
Montana. or anywhere else, are no diff
ferent than motor vehicle owners in
Oregon and that when they come to
understand the working Of this plan
will be just as ready and willing, and
just as keen, to undertake it as we
have been in Oregon. However, there
is another side to that picture. If the
motor vehicle owner is to assume the
entire cost of building a state highway
system then it is moral and funda-
mental that he should be relieved from
the payment of all other forms of taxes
on his motor vehicle. Therefore tC
abolish the old form of personal pro-
perty tax is one necessary steps IN
working out the science of the sell
! supporting method of financing a state
highway system.
| Auto Owners Willing
"In Oregon we give the counties .
per cent of the motor vehicle license
fees, but in doing so we provide thai
this money can not be used for any
other purpose than to pay interest or
county road bonds, or If there are nc
bonds then it must go into the genera
road fund. 1t is road money and must
be so regarded.
Il have never yet found any motor
vehicle owners who were no willing Il
pay a good stiff license fee providing
he could be assured that the money
would be expended on the roads, be
cause motor vehicle owners everywhere
know what the difference is in theii
garage bills. gasoline bills and tire bill
when travelling good roads or bat
roads. Willingness to pay the higher
license fee is not altruism with tn
motor vehicle owner. but Just everyday
good business. The cost of n broker
spring q year. one tire. and the extra
gasoline bill will aggregate a prett!
stiff license fee to say nothing of thu
other considerations of time, comfort
general wear and tear. etc.
There are two fundamentally diff
ferent theories coneering the financing
of road construction. One is to pa!
as YOU CO. and the other TO ISSUE
bonds and pay in the future. Both o.
these theories have their advocates ant
both are being practiced. Some statei
have adopted n and some the other
Both theories have their merits
Pay as you go is a slogan and has 8
catchy ring 10 it like all slogans. and
also like all slogans it rarely delivers
according to its promise. Personally
am definitely in favor OF the bonding
theory as we have carried on in Ore
gon. Piecemeal work is always costly
II always costs less to do work in 9
large wholesale way than to dribble
at it. If you are doing work in g
large way contractors will flock to your
state and bidding will be keen. Fur,