The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-11-17
PLANS FOR ROADS
Cash. ARE MAKING
Two Year Funds Provision
Found Necessary
TO THE SoLONS
Legislature Must Be Apprised Of
What Is Necessary In
Premises

The Minnesota highway depart.
ment purposes to recommend to the
state Legislature early In January
the passage of enabling acts foI
trunk highway reimbursement bond
issues By all counties which did not
act under the 1918 law and for $40,
100000 of trunk highway bonds In
1923 ana 1894, also revisions oil
motor vehicle tax schedules to cor
rect Inequalities without sacrificing
reasonable returns, consideration OF
increases in taxes on trucks and
buses for hire, and minor changes
in highway laws. e..
Charles M. Babcock, state high
way commissioner, today MAIDS pub
lie the departments proposals fol
financing the state highway pro-
gram during the coming tw0-yeaf
period. The commissioner pointed
to these considerations:
Minnesota must speed its high
way program now that other states
are fighting for good roads leader
ship and DEMENT'S.
Current trunk highway funds to
date have been three fourth of the
agreed total and one fourth OF
Minnesota Toad funds, local roads
taking three times as much.
Present limitations on paving
funds make Tor waste OF money In
partially successful attempts to keep
gravel strfacing on heavy traffic
sections. .--... aE..
The new highway plan already
has cut local road taxes more, than
$1.250,000 and further. reductions
will follow, now that countries are
relieved of the burden of work on
main rn&ds.
Better road conditions are max
ing savings on automobile. deprecia-
ton and repairs tires and gasoline,
in amounts exceeding the motor
vehicle tax each year,
After, Election Announcement
The proposals were announced
after election to avoid political en- :
tanxlements bat well in advance of
the legislative session TO afford time
for public discussion of the tenta-
tive program.
Commissioner Babcock in an in
formal statement asserts that
whether the highway program goes
forward or backward in the next
two years viii depend mainly on
new legislation--idnancial provis-
ions. He points out that under the
1919 reimbursement bond law quite
number of countries gained pre-
cedence over others with equal or
superior claims to highN@ay better
ments and proposes to remedy this
situation by re. establishing the
authorities for counties which did
not take advantage of It. Reduction
Of motor vehicle tax reventie must
be guarded against now that auto-
mobile prices have declined, he says
adding that present taxes are only
slightly higher than under the old
personal property laws and less
than the agreed average of S1S. The
value of the car as taxable property
should be reckoned, and any gas
oline tax should be levied only as
an additional tax. The latter plan
should be adopted when automobile
owners are willing to contriU.te
$50 or IS q year average in return
for $2,500.000 extra road better
ments annually which would follow
from tax at cents a gallon on
gasoline consumption.
Minnesota's good roads leader
ship, the commissioner continued,
is threatened by many other states
now launching highway improve
ments on a large scale, bond and
other provisions running over $780,
0o0,00e in many Instances and as
high as $1e0, 900 900. Current rev
enues in the Minnesota trunk high
way fund the last two years aver
aged about $500, 900 compared with
SIC, 100000 pledged under Amend.
ment No. 1 which also provided fol
highway bonds in the discretion OF
the legislature, and also with the
average Of $4,000. 900 a year raised
for local roads carrying only one
fourth Of the highway traffic in the
state.
Paving That May Be Necessary ..
Adequate financial provisions will
cover paving necessary on many
heavy traffic sections Of the trunk
system where the cost of gravel
of money and with unsatisfactory
road results, according to Commits
sioneT Bsbcock. The highway de-
partment will be enabled Also he
decuared, to make important, pro
gress in every part Of the state
carrying on operations in proper
ton to the needs of various local
tiles. Re- enactment Of the reimburse
ment bond statute will go far to-
ward evening accounts with coun
ties which now appear on the sur
face to have been Disseminated
AGAINST, he explained but authorize
ton Of the first state highway bonds
ID equally important to put the pro-
gram on q fair, systematic basis.
) Commissioner Babcock regards
highway plans as removed to SONS
extent from those demanding funds
which raise the demand for tar
reductions. He quotes figures show
ing that county, township and city
village tax 1evies for road and
bridge purposes increased steadily
until 1921. Then, with the expense
Of the main highways taken over By
the state, local road levies dropped
for the first time, TO SIS. 81 DOC
from more than $21 100000, and
available for local road betterments
reductions will be possible as the
local roads are built up.
Highway transportation experts
assert that motor vehicle tax funds
used for road improvements and
maintenance cannot be classed &C
additional tax OUTLAWS by the cal
owner, because he receives In re-
turn highway betterments which
greatly reduce his car expenses. In
other words, he is only contributing
to roads the money that he mus
spend otherwise for springs and
other repairs, tires, and gasoline
Practical tests show big earnings
in operating motor vehicles on good
roads, compared with unimproved
roads.
The commissioner repeats that
nowadays q good road pays for IT.