The Mankato free press., 1923-04-27
ROAD WORK WILL
HALT; LACK CASH
Due To Failure of Bond
Bill To Pass
FUNDS ARE PRUNED
No More Construction Cor
tracts Are Listed, Hence
Curtailmert

Minnesota:s good roads p~graD
temporarily halted ty the failure o.
the $4,000 900 bond bill 60 reach a
| vote in the house before adjourn
ment OF the legislature. the state
highway department this week be-
gan effecting forced curtailments.
No more construction contracts
will be awarded this year. according
to the official announcement. and
only the patrol and other regular
maintenance will be carried on by
state forces. Possible loss of fed
eral aid is averted, however, by pas
sage of the bill authorizing trunk
/ highway reimbursement bond issues
! by countries which have not already
! profited by the plan. Re- enactment
CT. this law will permit this year
some scattered betterments. But
funds available for uso on the main
heavy duty highways viii be less
than half those to be spent by coun
ty and township officials on light
traffic local roads.
! The highway bond bill was passed
by the senate but in the house its
fair consideration was blocked by
opponents using a two thirds ma
jority rule.
| All Funds Obligated.
Motor vehicle tax receipts of &c.,
100000 are estimated for 1923-the
same amount as was collected last
year. From the $6,5O0,00O. must be
taken first S2,500,O00 to meet county
reimbursement bonds and interest.
Then must be set aside $4,000 900
for maintenance and administration
expenses. The administration fund,
limited by law to S150,000 a year,
pays the rent of the highway build
ing, officials salaries and other gen.
eral overhead expenses.
The $1,000,000 remaining from
auto tax collections will go with part
of the federal aid to pay for i'm
provements already under contract. {.
Minnesota motor vehicles will be
taxed 1884 on the average under
new rates fixed by the last legisla-
ture to take effect next year. The
figure is compared to $17 last year
and the agreed average of SIS under
Good Roads Amendment No. l.
New tax averages are placed at
$15.S2 on passenger cars estimated
to total 37S,552; $1S.9 on trucks to
total 1921; and 1884 on 320 COM
mercial busses The receipts are
). forecast at $7,111 900 including those
from miscellaneous sources. Figures
were given out this week by C. NJ.
Spear, st. Paul, official statistician to
the Senate and Esuse committees on
motor vehicles.
| Friends of good roads questioned
WI ether the reductions represent
any saving to car owners when each
dollar in the average means more
than 100000 of improvements on
the trunk highways The taxes are
more than Offset, they> assert, by
savings on tires, repairs and gasoline
consumption from better roads.
= The Depreciation Allowances
> Under the new schedules all classes
take depreciation allowances of ten
per cent year, instead of 25 per
cent after three and so per cent after
five years. This concession and the
new list price basis cut more than
100000 from the revenues and made
necessary the continuance of the $12
minimum and the advance of the
rate on higher priced cars to 2& per
cent. All passenger cars take that
tax rate, with minimums of $12 on
those weighing 1000 pounds or less
and SIS on heavier cars. Trucks take
the same rate with minumums run
ming from SIS to $135. Commercial
busses and trucks are taxed 10 per
cent of list prices, busses taking
iminimums of $3.50 on those of less
than fifteen seating capacity and
$3.50 on larger models and trucks the
Irregular truck minimums. -"
The new schedules are expected to
correct all inequalities in the taxes
on motor vehicles, notably that under
which used cars were taxed more
then new ones of like models.
The list includes graveling done
last winter to save about 80 per cent
of the cost. also grading and bridge
projects pushed with economy in
cold weather. .-.... ..... ~.
! Although crippled now by lack of
ready funds, highway officials said
the state program will work out as
iplanned under, the agreed average
will be slowed up by failure TO vote
the bonds ..
Bonds Stranaie Bill
Friends of good roaas in all parts
of the state supported the bond bill
with resolutions, { petitions, letters.
kilograms and personal appeals TO
lsenators and representatives apd the
newspapers, with but few exceptions,
Backed it with the Amendment No. ]
campaign spirit. A bogie scare that
farmers opposed the plan was !1aise,i
and proved one of many things which
delayed and finally resulted in fail
fure of the bill.
The two thirds rule blocking con-
sideration of the bill toward the end,
friends of the measure were obliged
4 to attempt to change and circum
vent the rule and then developed the
parliamentary, knot" which strangled
the bill to death.
1 Members favoring the bond issues
fought to the end, nevertheless. to
bring the bill to vote on its merits
but were unsuccessful In the house.
Woman Attempted Suicide.