The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1922-12-28
GOOD ROAD PLAN TO
FEATURE SESSION
MEASURES TO PROVIDE MORE.
ADEQUATE HIGHWAYS-IM-
PORTANT WORK
DEPARTMENT PROPOSALS.
POPULARITY OF GOOD ROADS
PROGRAM CREATES PUBLIC
INTEREST
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commissioner BaDcOck
Revision of motor vehicle tax y
es to remove inequalities with
out increasing average car tax
above SIS or reducing revenue
from that source.
Authorizations of first issues
of trunk highway bonds of =
$1O,OOO,O00 each for 1923 and
1924 and to allow all counties
equal benefits from reimburse
: ment law.
Other laws to speed trunk high x
ways improvements through
paving of streets in small
towns willing to pay interest,
to allow best and unrestricted
uses of available funds, to re-
duire all vehicles on highways
x after dark to carry lights, to re-
= duce numbers of tax exempt
* cars and to prevent traffic :
prosecutions for private gain.
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Measures of immediate benefits to
be gained from present OUTLAWS for
better roads without any increase in
taxation and of savings by automo-
bile and truck owners of money which
otherwise must go for extra gasoline,
tires and car upkeep will be largely
detrimed for the next two years by
the Minnesota Legislature which will
open it's session next Tuesday in the
capitol at st. Paul, Special interest
centers in the highway legislative
program, according to reports from
all parts of the state.
Expressing complete confidence in
the plain, good business policies to be
urged by the highway department.
and in the Judgment Of both senate
and house members, Charles M. Bah
cock, state highway commissioner,
predicted favorable action on the good
roads proposals.
"Tne legislators know the public de-
mand for more adequate highways"
said Commissioner Babcock, land the
highway department will undertake to
show that they can be built on big
ger scale for use now that they Will
pay for themselves many times over.
The proposals are so simple and plain
that 1O-year-old school boy can see
the wisdom of adopting them.
''The bond plan will lift the burden
of paying in these times of high taxes
the whole cost of road work which will
serve for many years and will mean
further reductions in road taxes. 1t
will not make the past pay for roads
which it should have built but it Will
pass on to each future year its FAIR
share of the cost of highway improve
ment. All this will be without increas-
ing taxes or net costs Of better roads.
The commissioner pointed to the
official record of nearly $1,3O0,0OO
decrease in road taxes the first year
after the new program transferred to
the state and from the counties the
big expense of main highway improve
ment and maintenance. 1t is additional
evidence that the new plan is fulfill
ling every promise made for it and
the purpose now is to obtain still
greater and more immediate benefits
from it, he said.
Legislative delegations from the
three large cities looked with favor on
the highway proposals at theih pre-
liminery meetings" continued Com
missioner Babcock, "and when the
localities paying most and receiving
the least directly from the trunk high
way program take that attitude, there
is more reason to expect the full sup
pot of members from the country
districts.
"St. Paul and Ramsey county are to
seek legislation for bond issues OF
nearly 100000 for street and high
way betterments, only small part OF
which can bring state reimbursements.
Minneapolis and Hennepin county
also place high value on adequate
roads for all Minnesota. Although only
10 miles of the 7,0OO-mile trunk high
way system are in Hennepin county,
it pays nearly one-fifth of the total
motor vehicle taxes in the state. They
paw six times as much state high
way aid as they receive, and the diff
ference of nearly 100000 also is used
on roads in other counties. Further,
Hennepin county is transferring part
of its state aid to nearby counties and
Minneapolis is helping privately to