The Princeton union., 1922-08-03
INCREASE IN CAR
REGISTRATION.
Number of Motor Vehicles Now Regis
tered in 1922 Exceeds by TO-
600 the 1921 Total.
$4,000 CARS REGISTERED
Babcock and Mullen Touring Northern
Minnesota Find Motor Po-
licemen Reasonable.

to date this year have Increased re-
ceipts by $560,000 over the full 1921
total but the tax enforcement cam
paign is to go on until every Stacker
has been rounded up, says the state
highway department bulletin this
week.
Charles M. Babcock, state highway
commissioner, said nearly $50 engin-
eers and other field men of the de-
partment will continue to prosecute
unlicensed car cases in addition to
carrying on their regular duties. The
announcement followed a report from
Mike Holm, secretary Of state, of 1922
vehicle registration totals to August
/ of about $4,000 passenger cars, 35,-
900 trucks, 5000 motorcycles and 300
trailers. This is a gain of about TO-
900 for the seven months over the COM
plete 1921 figure and many new appli-
cations are being made.
The enforcement campaign now be-
ing conducted through the regular en-
ployees of the highway department
has listed more than 1000 unlicensed
cars and brought more than 700 prose-
cutions with fines in the majority Of
cases. A large number of cars are
being recorded for sheriffs' sales pro-
vided the taxes remain unpaid.
Receipts are put on the trunk high
ways as fast as they come in and the
construction and other improvement
programs are advancing accordingly.
The current trunk highway funds this
year include $6,175,000 of auto taxes
and $1,5O0,000 of federal aid.
It is only occasionally complaints
are heard in regard to the license fee
the owner of motor vehicle is re-
quired to pay. But very few of these
protests come from the rural sections,
where all the trunk highway money is
being expended, and the mapority of
residents in the large cities are be-
ginning to realize that they too receive
full value for the contributions 20 this
state fund.
Any residents Of Mile Lacs
county, who may feel that the law
providing for the licensing Of motor
vehicles has greatly increased their
taxes, will certainly become quickly
disabused of this idea if they compute
the amount they would be obliged to
pay if their cars were taxed as per-
sonal property. 1t must also be re-
membered, as was stated in last weeks
issue of the Union, the Babcock
amendment has made possible a de-
crease in the local road taxes in the
rural sections and at the same time
has given us the best system of roads
in the history of the state.
Minnesota has certainly made rapid
strides in road building during the
past decade and this progress has been
made possible because the residents of
the large cities help to pay for the
construction Of the highways in the
rural sections of the state.
Charles M. Babcock, state highway
commissioner, and j. H.. Mullen, chief
engineer, who passed through Prince
ton Monday were just returning from
a 1,500 tour through the northern sec
tion Of the state. Mr.. Babcock stated
that he was Of the opinion that there
was very little reason for any motor
lists to complain of undue activity on
the part Of motorcycle policemen who
patrol the highways. He and Mr..
Mullen made a practice of driving 35
miles per hour in those sections from
which complaints had been received in
regard to unreasonable enforcement
of speed laws. No patrolmen made
any attempt to interfere with them in
any way.
Mr.. Babcock states most emphatical-
ly that he favors a reasonable enforce
ment Of speed laws and thinks the
officers should be encouraged to exer-
else common sense in patrolling the
highways. He believes some drivers
are public menace when they are
travelling at rate of rs miles per
hour while others, who attend strictly
to business and keep their eyes on
the road, can drive safelyat 35 or
even 40 miles per hour in an open
stretch of country.
Dog Owners Pay Taxes.