Graham guardian., 1922-01-20

$4,000 after the roads were built. The
average value of property along these
roads scared from s23.S9 an acre to
$55.lS an acre, or an increase OF l3l
per cent. That is only one instance:
you will find many similar items in
the financial and commercial publi.
cations, magazines and newspapers.
VII. What About the upkeep Of Au-
mobiles
conservative estimate OF the saw
ing in gasoline alone, as a result Of
good roads, is given by authorities on
the subject as at least thirty-three and
one-third per cent per mile. That is
to say, supposing that your flivver
now gives you an average OF Is miles
per gallon of gas; if enough of us vote
wisely on February 11th you will even
tually get the same amount of mil.
! age on two-thirds of gallon OF gas,
or you will get 22R miles to the gal
Ion. .,.....
In addition to that, you will get
double the mileage out of your tire
castings, according to very .conserYa.
tive estimates, and you will eliminate
nine-tenths Of your troubles in, the
way of broken springs, frames, .axles,
etc, loose bolts, racked body, rattles,
squeeks and general rapid deprecia-
tion of your car, all of. which means
money in your pocket. These items
alone, besides making automobiling
real healthful and enjoyable recrea.
ton, will more than pay your excess
taxes on account Of the proposed road
bond issue and now we come to the
tax question.
VII. How the Bonds viii Affect the
Taxpayer
We have considered a few of the
advantages to be derived from good
roads. They cannot be successfully
disputed, and no one will attempt to
do so. But there are those who are
always complaining about the tax.
burden, and seem TO be afraid to sane
tion the building of good roads. or
any other civic improvement, lest
their taxes be increased few dollars.
Now, let us look into that phase OF
the situation.
The public records of Graham Coun-
'ty show that the total assessed valua.
tion of all taxable property in the
county is $13,4S7, ,202.O4. or this
amount $4,232,OOO, or nearly one-third
is assessed against the Arizona East.
ern Railroad; $4.2O5,0OS, or nearly
another third, is assessed against the |
mines, large cattle and business in.
terests, leaving a balance Of S5,050.-
1874, or a trifle over oHe-third of the |
total net assessed valuation of the |
county assessed against the individual |
taxpayer. It will be readily seen from |
pie Of Graham County-thOse who un-
qestiopably will derive tue greatest |
proportional benefit from the cOnstruc-
tion of good rQads-hsar only about |
one-third of the entire burden of taxa
tion of this county, and it follows that
they will bear no more than about one
third Of the burden of the excess tax
es which will be levied to finance the
bond issue il carried.
N-o,,, ,ho ,.r.,, ,~,
cess levy Of $4,000 will be necessary
fUt the first yea: 70 cover boIh inter.
est and redem0t;'n AMI this levy
VIII become less ana less each year
fu" the reason that the inlerest.draw.
ing principal If the bonds will SLOW
less and less as the redemption fund
pays it off, and hence the amount Of
the interest 10 be paid on the bonds
each year will decrease accordingly /
Now, take it for the first year, which
will carry the heaviest burden, in ord
er to raise this $55.O0O, the tax rate
will have to be increased about 40
cents a hundred, or $4,0O per thous-
and Now let's stop here just a min
ate.
In 1921 We spent $4,000, approx
nately for the maintenance of roads
in this county, at cost to tax pay
ers OF something over 20 cents hun
lred or $3.50 thousand. About so
Der cent Of this $4,000 was expended |
N the maintenance OF the main road
Up and down the valley-the very
Dad which. II the bonds carry, will
,e reconstructed with Federal Aid G
md will become a state highway as a
,efore stated, apd will thereafter be t
maintained solely at the expense OF I
he State of Arizona. Deducting this d
uge maintenance cost, and consider. u
ng the fact that very few OF the coun-
y roads will require any expenditure Z
or maintenance for the next three or
our years after all the proposed pro-
ects are carried out, We must leces.
arily arrive at the conclusion that the
urden of the $4,000 maintenance
ost for 1921 will be almost entirely
Eliminated for the next three or four
ears, and approximately so per cent
t 1t will be eliminated for all time Ey
eason Of the main project becoming 4
State highway