The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1923-02-02
BONDS To HASTEN
IMPROVEMENTS.
HIGHWAY COM. POINTS "ONLY
WAY TO AVOID UNNECES-
SARY AND COSTLY
DELAY" IN PLANS.

Ely and vicinity have much at
stake. in the highway bond pro-
posals which will mean more good
roads for the present, cut waste of
. money. for highway upkeep and
lower highway transportation and
travel costs, all without a cent of
increase in taxes, according to
Charles NJ. Babcock, state highway
commissioner.
The bond plan, it is conceded,
will bring in the next two years
highway improvements, many of
which otherwise must wait five and
ten years and even longer. It's sup
porters. now are predicting favor
able action by the legislature and
further that after results are ap-
apparent on trunk highways all
over the state in the fall of 1924
the legislator who has voted against
the proposals will have all the ex-
cuses to make.
Same Taxes Anyway.
Commissioner Babcock m a k s
plain that the bond plan merely
opens fairer and better way to
use the automobile taxes already
coming in and that it is not mat
ter of taxes. "Motor vehicle taxes
being collected now will have to be
paid each year and used on the
state trunk highways under the
Minnesota constitution which even
the legislature cannot change or
modify he said. Although they
are slightly less than under the old
personal property tsg law, the high
way department is not asking or
planning for any increase in the
agreed tax of SIS on the average
automobile. 1t has been carefully
figured out that the money at the
rate it is now coming in will pay
the principal and interest on all
bonds and leave sufficient each year
to take care of other demands.
THE bond proposal is to put to
the best and fairest use a given
amount of money-the funds which
will come from automobile taxes
during the next twenty years."
continued the commissioner.
Present Plan Unfair.
s. Under the present plan, as has
been explained, the car owners of
today are paying for past, present
and future road improvements and
not getting their fair returns for
their tax dollars. More than ST.
100000 of the 1922 auto tax funds
were used for permanent work
grading and so forth-which will
serve for many years to come. If
like amount is used in each sue.
ceeding year, the 1928 taxpayer
will profit by the use of $5,OOO,O 900
of these permanent highway better
ments although the latter pay no
10
owner of last year.
! vel the returns. Anticipating the
taxes to be paid each year, it will
enable the state to spread the en-
tire costs with interest on bonds
over the term, to apportion to each
year it's fair share Of the whole ex-
pense, and give the taxpayers of
the present and the near future
more just treatment. The only pos
sible extra charge is that of inter-
est which can be justified. 1t will
be paid from the general aggregate
and that is only fair. Every in
vestment must earn it's interest and
the use of. the projected highway
VIII earn that many times over"
Good Roads Workers Out.
Members of. the legislature are
said to be putting the highway
bonds in class by themselves be-
cause the plan does bot call for
any annual tax levy especially to
meet the interest from year to year.
This difference brings out more
strongly that the sinking fund as
submitted by the highway commits
slener provides for interest pay
ments as they fall due and retire
ment of the bonds as they mature.
Following explanations by Mr..
Babcock, the bond proposals are re-
ceiving endorsements from many
sources, state organizations, county
boards of commissioners, CONNER
cial clubs and other civic bodies.
Good roads advocates in many loc-
aiities are beginning active work to
secure support for the plan and it
is steadily gaining strength.