The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1923-12-06
Minnesota Automobile Tax
Well Below the Average
Owners in Many Other States Are
Paying More, Though Roads Saw
ings May Be Less

lower than those of the average state
in spite of the big trunk highway be-
ing financed wholly with auto taxes
and federal aid and the good roads
reputation already won by the state.
The statement in state highway
bulletin this week is based upon fig
ures for all the states as reported on
survey by the American Association
of State Highway officials. The Min
nesota tax on the average automobile
is $2.18 less than that in the aver
age state, according to the available
figures. Total taxes on automobiles
are used, however, the personal
property, state license, gasoline and
other levies being included in each
instance, against the lieu state tax in
Minnesota. The figures are careful
ly compiled, the bulletin adds, and
regarded as accurate, the general sur
vey being by an unbiased organiza-
ton, and Minnesota figures official.
A further showing held of interest
is that an average Of $18 as agreed
upon under Coed Roads Amendment
No. 1, if levied here, would still be
no higher than that of the average
state.
Representative cars in different
classes are used for comparisons.
Four-cylinder Fords and Dodges and
the cylinder Buick of the passen-
ger touring models are the first three.
Other models are the 8-cylinder Cadi
lilac and 12-cylinder Packard, both of
the 7-passenger touring types.
Gasoline taxes where levies are fig
ured on $500 miles a season at Is
miles gallon for the Ford, 10 miles
for Dodges, IL miles for Bucks, 8
miles for Cadillacs and 6 miles for
Packards, as on the national tables
reported. Personal property tax rate
averages are 60 mills in country and
ITO mills in cities and 60 per cent of
list prices, and the registration fees
are actual amounts collected.
The Minnesota taxes are figured at
new 1924 rates on 1921 cars, rated in
the motor vehicle registration depart
ment as giving the fairest average.
The bulletin points out that the aver
ages for all the states are similarly
rated. On the basis of 1922 models,
the Minnesota taxes are lower on the
whole, although slightly higher on the
more expensive models. They are
Fords S12; Dodges $780,; Bucks,
$26. 20; Cadillacs, $63.47, and Pack
ards, $84.70 This emphasizes that
in comparison with those in other
states, Ford owners and others paying
the $12 minimum are fairly treated,
and they form more than half of the
car owners in the state.
Gasoline tax figures from the same
show that 2-cents-a-gallon tax, as
proposed in Minnesota, would cost
car owners as follows: Ford, Sc;
Dodge, 1922; Buick, $3.50; Cadil-
lac, S11.24, and Packard SIS. But it
will mean, according to the bulletin,
the use of approximately $500, 900
of extra road betterments every year
to reduce gasoline consumption, tire
wear and general car expense. Fur
Their, it will allow tourists from other
states covering large mileages here to
contribute toward the better roads
program.
There are thirty-four states in
which motor vehicles are taxed as
personal property, either in lieu of
fiat license rate or in addition to
some other fee. In practically all
these states city owned cars, because
of higher city tax rates pay higher
tax than country cars. In Minneso-
ia the tax is the same for both city
and country but none of the proceeds
is used in the three large cities which
pay probably third of the whole
tax.
CAP R0ARD HAS MEETING