The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1923-02-22
TO GET THE MOST FOR
YOUR ROAD MONEY
THE WAY TAXPAYERS CAN GET
MORE IMPROVED HIGHWAYS
FOR SAME OUTLAWS
A BIG SAVING In SIGHT
URGE LEGISLATORS WHO UN-
DERSTAND PLAN TO USE
BEST JUDGMENT

BEST JUDGMENT
The public will get the use of road
improvements averaging in value
$42, 088,0 during each of the next
ten years, and $79,o52,OOO during each
year the following decade, according
to cumulative totals.
Without Bond Issues
The comparative good roads value
totals will be 26,O24, 300 for the first
and $780, 74 900 for the second 1O-year
period-less by $780,, 900 and &c.
TT 400 a year, respectively, although
the same auto tax rates are contin-
ued.
Minnesota can get more value for
the same amounts of money provided
for trunk highways or so-called Bah
cock roads by issuing proposed bonds,
Estopplng waste on too costly upkeep
and turning the funds into permanent
road work. Maintenance savings will
exceed the interest on the bonds and
she use of more improved highways
will represent net gain to the public.
: This is the gist of the state high
Nay bond plan as summarized by
Charles M. Babcock, state highway
commissioner, in a current highway
bulletin. Careful, conservative fig
ures, the commissioner said, show pos
sible gains given above. All the bond
money and federal aid and, forty per
cent of the annual auto taxes going
for improvements which will last 25
90 and even 100 years, ne repeated
she value of the state highway system
- automobile and other users runs up
sslsslaly. All figures are without tax
increases based on the agree
average of SIS on automobiles.
More Value for Same Money
The bond plan, official figures show
will give the public bigger results for
the money used on the trunk high
ways-a full dollars worth of go {
roads for every good roads dollar. But
if the state goes on wasting for main
tenance of gravel surfaces on heavy
traffic sections, the commits sioner
finds, there will be one third less i'm
proved highways for public use in the
next ten years and one-tenth less for
each year from 1888 to 1913.
Without bonds, the state must use
an average of more than S4,000,00O
each year of the next twenty for MAR
tenance of the 7,0OO-mile trunk sys
tenn. Bond money Forthcoming to ex-
tend permanent improvements and
stop excessive upkeep leaks, the main
tenance cost can be kept down to ST.
100000 year, making an annual saw
ing of about $1,250,000.
Best Way to Use Given Sum
Commissioner Babcock uses the
same income figures in computing re-
suits obtainable with and without the
proposed bonds. The average num-
Der of motor vehicles to be registere :,
in Minnesota in the next twenty year
is placed at 487,500 Automobiles
taxed at the agreed S1S average and
trucks slightly higher because of in
creases forecast by the present Iegis-
lature, auto tax revenues are averaged
at $9.566,00 year, against $780,
600 allotted to Minnesota in most past
years.
Thus the trunk highway funds are
rated at s12,550,O0O annually. This IS
comparable to the average of $4,000
600 raised in late years fer county and
township roads in this state, and he
highways carry four-fifths of the traf-
fic.
Amounts necessary to meet all
present and proposed bond interest
and principal payments were set aside
first, and net balances remaining
available for maintenance and for new
construction under both plans were
used III the commissioners tables.
To Reduce Maintenance Cost
Inreasing maintenance demands, it
is shown under the present plan, will
take $3,030,000 this year and larger
amounts up to 1927 after which, the
upkeep outlay is placed at $780, 600
a year. Auto tax balances with fed
eral aid, but no bond funds, would af
ford for new construction work less
than $3,500,000 in 1923, $4,070,0G0 in
1924 between s5,0O0,000 and $6,000,-
600 for each Of the following seven
years, S6.340.0OO in 1882, and more
than $4,000, 900 a year thereafter.
Bonds authorized and maintenance
costs reduced, however, upkeep can be
held to an average Of $2,750,000 a
year, administration expenses includ
ed, according to official figures T.
with bond interest and principal pro-