Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1922-12-01
BUY GOOD HIGHWAYS
Less GAS and TIRES
SAVINGS HELD SUFFICIENT TO
PAY FOR PAVING SYSTEM IN
FIVE YEARS

according to experts figures from
practical tests quoted in a current bull
letin from the state highway depart
ment.
: r, No plans which will interfere with
the lowering Of road taxes already
begun or provide for any but needed
highway improvements will be offered,
said Charles M: Babcock, state high
way commissioner, commenting on the
highway program to be submitted to
the incoming legislature and the ex.
pert figures supporting proposed re-
concentrations for first state highway
bonds.
The showing of how the cost of paw
ing the Minnesota trunk highway
system could be paid with savings to
be made on the operation on motor
vehicles on the routes is based on re-
suits Of practical tests on gasoline saw
ings by the Iowa State college, and
on engineer IS estimates that as great
or greater savings can be made on
tires. No mention is made of other
gains possible from improved roads,
such as lengthening the lives Of cars
and trucks and the increased comfort
and convenience of hard-surfaced high
ways.
Motor vehicle gasoline consumption
| per ton, Iowa tests disclose, is one gal
Ion for every II miirs on earth roads,
81 miles on gravel roads and 81 miles
on concrete pavement. Gasoline sell
ing at "a cents a gallon, the report
continues, possible fuel costs per ton
! mile are Ill cents mile on dirt
roads, LIS cents on gravel roads and
IT cents Or pavement. Savings are
given as SO cents a ton mile on gravel
over earth and .3S cents on concrete
over gravel roads. Another tabulation
shows that the average highway We
hicle now weighs 1876 tons.
Minnesota trunk highway traffic
averages 10 vehicles or 966 tons
day on each mile. Test figures on o.
cent gasoline show a motor vehicle
cost &c cents a gallon greater on the
present roads than on pavement. On
the tonnage mile average given, the
possible saving on gasoline alone
would be $685. mile daily or $2,325
a year. Paving would reduce main
tenancc cost 10y $675 a mile annually.
The two items added make a possible
yearly saving of $4,000 a mile.
Minnesota pays 100000 mile for
concrete, complete, including the usual
interest charge. Thus the paving cost
would be covered by the annual say
ings in ten years-without a dollar
of additional investment. At the end
of ten years the state would be left
with a pavement good for many more
years and representing only money
which otherwise would have gone
away for gasoline. Possible tire saw
ings applied to the pavement cost
would cut the payment period to five
years or less.
The highway department, however,
proposes to pave only sections of the
trunk routes on which upkeep is so
heavy that the outlay will more than
pay for pavement. A recent state
ment by Commissioner Babcock fol-
lows:
"The highway department. will re-
commend to the incoming legislature
first issues of state highway bonds
because it believes the proposal just
good business and what good mana
ger would recommend to stockholders
in a private enterprise under like
conditions. The public as good roads
stockholders acting through the sena-
tors and representatives corresponding
the board Of directors in a private
business must decide whether the
proposition is timely. It will stand
solely on it's merits.
EThe successful business man bor-
rows funds when he finds he can use
them to build economically and ad
vantageously. Minnesota with a cred
it of 500 per capita and only $8.14 Of
debt or a net credit of nearly $12 per
capita, is in better position to borrow
money for needed highway improve
ments than many other states not go
ing on with much larger highway
funds and programs. Highway bond
and other recommendations to be made
by this department will not add one
cent to taxes. Better roads already
are returning to average car and
truck owners more than they pay in
motor vehicle taxes and since the
state assumed the expense of building
and maintaining the more expensive
main roads, county township and city
village levies for road and bridge pur-
poses are rapidly going down. Direct
taxes for roads in Minnesota are being
lowered for the first time in the his
tory Of the state.
"Current trunk highway funds to
date have totalled $5,O00,0O0 less than
was agreed to under Amendment No. l
and reasonably expected. Highway
demands are increasing as more and
more people become convinced that
good roads more than pay for them
selves by stopping gasoline, tires and
other waste. Reasonable funds pro-
vided, the state will be able to speed
up highway improvements and to the
advantage Of every property owner
and citizens It. will be possible in all
parts Of the state to hasten results de-
manded now, whereas, otherwise more
! limited funds must be used to best
serve greatest numbers of highway u.s.
ers and projects in many localities will
be unavoidably delayed. - S' s1.4e
Highway officials assert that so far
the proposed program Of highway leg
islation has received unqualified ap-
proval when fully understood. Cues
tions about any features, they add,
| will be answered promptly if addressed
to the highway department, 1246 Uni
| versity Avenue, St. Paul.
Blanks for use in the redemption Of
War Savings Stamps have been re-
ceived at the local postohice. Stamps
can Be turned ii at any. time, payment
| to be made January Int. Little Falls
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