Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-08-27
Edy Tells Y-G Bee Lime Meeting What Montana
Must Do i'm 1923 to Get Federal Aid for Roads

1t must be remembered that an In
crease in motor vehicle registration
fees is not equivalent to increasing the
tax burden of the people of the state.
1t will, in fact, reduce such tax burden.
Do not lose sight of the fact that prac-
tically every dollar of local money that
has been spent for road Improvement
within Montana since 1889 has been
raised by general or special tax levies.
The proposal herein offered will de-
crease these tax levies and will require
the principal beneficiary of the high
ways to pay for what he gets.
Furthermore, it should be observed
that any reasonable motor vehicle reg
lstration fee represents but a small
percentage of the total annual car op-
Grating expense; and that the saving in
car operating expense, upkeep and tire
costs is certain to more han offset the
amount of such registration fee.
Large Benefit Scope
1t is, of course, true that the bene-
fits of improved highways are trace
able, directly or indirectly, to every
corner, community and citizen of the
state. Nevertheless-and perhaps this
is unfortunate for the motor vehicle
user-the automobile is the only bene-
ficiary of improved highway that can
not deny the direct and immediate
benefit therefrom.
The motor vehicles registered in the
state return in fees approximately
S515.OOO.0O per year. Doubling this fee
should provide in excess of one million
dollars as a construction fund for
state highways. Perhaps for some
classes of cars the present fee should
be more than doubled. In any event,
and If the present generation is to
derive any real benefit from the high
ways improvements which ii must
finance, sufficient funds should be pro-
ylded for the completion of the entire
$500 miles of federal aid highways in
Montana within a period of 10 years.
Such a program would require an
annual state revenue approximating
5 ,3OO,OOO.OO per year.
9. State Maintenance and Marking.
To any person travelling by auto
mobile throughout the state il
must be apparent that the maintenance
and marking of the principal state
highways should be a responsibility of
the state rather than of the counties.
AS above stated the state highway de-
partment is now maintaining the roads
improved under its supervision. In
contrast with this-and this statement
Is not offered as a criticism of local
officials-few if any counties in the
state are making any reasonable effort
to maintain even the most important
state highways other than those i'm
proved under the supervision of the
state. Highways are ~inadequately and
ununiformly marked. Our own people.
generally reasonably familiar with the
state. meet with difficulty and delays
IN attempting to drive from place to
place throughout the state.
This suggestion of state mainten-
ance may be considered from another
angle: if we assume that it viii re-
qulre 10 years to complete the i'm
provement of the $500 mile federal
aid system in Montana and if we con-
cede, as presumably we must, that
county funds are inadequate for the
reasonable maintenance of important
and unimproved state highways. the
follows that unless a new
policy is adopted, a large portion of
the automobile using public will be
denied the benefits of improved roads
to which they are entitled. If the state
assumes responsibility for the main
tenance of the system OF high 70,
ferred to, it will mean two things:
first. that unimproved dirt roads viii
be comfortably travelable throughout
the summer months except during and
for perhaps one day following a rain.
At the present time many of our earth
roads and parts of our main state
highway system show deep ruts and
a rough and almost impossible surface
that was the result of a rain 80 days
In the second place and if funds
are available therefore, the state can
means of what is termed heavy
maintenance, gradually raise the stan
dard of the unimproyed roads in tbs
state, increasing their surface value to
almost unbelievable extent.
Z. Source of Revenue for State
Maintenance. A gasoline tax is sug-
gested as the simplest, most reason
aole n most nearly painless source
or revenue for the maintenance of state
highways. Perhaps you do not know
mat there is now imposed a gasoline
tax of l cent per gallon. the revenue
from which, however, is not credited
any highway fund in the state or
but is credited TO the general
u and the school fund of the state.
less than IS states in the union al
ready levy a gasoline tax. the tax rate
generally being / or 2 cents per gallon.
In my own opinion. l do not believe
eANh NNHbo pCA SdliOu Nuulu De eX-
c~essive. Even a 2 cent per gallon tax
would produce approximately S55O.OO
per year which would finance the con-
tinuous maintenance of the 4,SOO mile
aid system for years to come
and would permit the gradual raising
of the standard of federal aid highways
not yet improved.
There is this further thought, IF
tourist cars are using our high
ways this year, and if the average tray-
mileage of these foreign cars is 900
miles per car, We have 1000, 900 miles
foreign car travel over our highways
the single season of 1922. I'm
l~uestionably this mileage viii be in
Unquestionably also these
foreign cars should be required and
Will undoubtedly be willing to contrib
ute toward the maintenance of the
highways which they use with
comfort and satisfaction; and the OPP
portunity for such contribution is Of
tered in the gasoline tax suggested.
3. Encourage Tourist Traffic. For
several years past it has been thought
BY many persons unwise to mention
traffic in connection with our
improvements. We have
iwelt upon the necessity for the de-
7elopment of a system of highways
which would adequately serve the
agricultural and industrial interests OF