The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-02-09
FOLK MAY KNOW
ROAD BOND PLAN
Statement of Commissioner
Of Highways Babcock
DENIES TAX RAISE
Scheme Will Be Means OF Bet
tering Roadways In Min
neSota

The Free Press. always giving its
readers information on subjects OF
special public importance, publishes
here a statement by Charles NJ. Bah
cock state highway commissioner,
on highway bond recommendations
10 be made to the present LegiSla-
lure and giving the reasons for them.
Mr.. Babcock discusses the main
features and, confident of the actiyS
support of every good citizen who
fully understands the plan, adds that
questions on any detail will be an
swered promptly if sent to the state
highway department at 1916 Univer-
sity Avenue, st. Paul.
Incidentally. the highway propo-
sails are rapidly gaining in popular
ity.
No Tax Increase To Result
The Commissioner has claimed
the endorsement of citizens and
civic and commercial organizations
investigating the positive as
Th2t no road or auto increases
will result.
That proposed bond issues, prin-
cipal and interest, will be financed
entirely with motor vehicle tax re-
ceipts under a sinking fund require
ment of the state constitution.
That projected highway improve
ments are public necessities which
must be provided for within a few
years either by the bond plan pres
ented now or through increased tax
levies.
That highway construction costs
are at the lowest levels of record
sack TO prewar scales of 1917 and
probably lower than will prevail
again, according to economic eX-
perts.
That bond funds will be used only
for improvements actually needed
now and that the largest mileages of
hetterments will be of grading and
crawling as in the past, paving to
be built only where economy de-
mands.
That the proposal is simply to ap-
ply ordinary business practice to the
highway program and affords the
only method of relieving the over
eurdened taxpayers of today of pay
ing for past and future, as well as
present road improvements.
Here's Highway Bond Plan =
A similar proposition confronting
a well named private concern. Mr..
Babcock declare. would be adopted
without hesitation.
Babcock Gives Reasons
The commissioners statement
&c lows:
First issues OF highway bonds
under Good Roads Amendment No. l
ere 10 be recommended to the leg
islature to tighten the burden of
public expense in these times of
high taxation. They will extend to
each year its fair share of the cost
CT permanent highway improve
ments and give the present taXpay
cTS just measure of benefits for
th3 funds they are furnishing.
Highway improvements projected
now are public necessities which
must be built within a few years.
They can be constructed econom
ically now with the bond money or
they will come a little later perhaps
with higher taxes and construction
costs. But they must be built and
soon
Favorable legislative action on
= pending proposals alone will enable
the highway department to deal eff
fectively and economically with it's
problems. Failure of the recon-
mendations would mean a serious
situation on Minnesota roads.
Auto Taxes Pay All
The proposed bonds together with
the interest on them are to be
financed wholly with trunk highway
funds-motor vehicle taxes, and
without adding a dollar to taxation.
The. plan simply anticipates the col J..
lection of the revenues and applies
them on the roads with greater fair
ness to the taxpayer of today.
The highway department is not
advocating any increase in the
agreed SIS average tax on automo-
biles nor any gasoline tax. The auto
mobile tax revenues at the SIS aver
7 age rate will produce amounts ample
to cover both the principal and in
terest of bonds and leave annual
balances adequate for established
maintenance requirements and con-
tinuation Of needed betterments
from year to year.
The sinking fund required by the
constitution has been carefully
worked out but the detailed figures
would take too much space here.
Paving Held Economical
= Only with highway bond funds
will it be possible to meet reason
able demands, stop waste Of money
for excessively expensive mainten
ance and give the highway user of
today the service and savings to
which he is entitled. Nearly half of
current trunk highway funds are 60
ing for right Of way, bridges, grad
ing and other permanent construc-
ton which will be used for 25. so and
even 100 years and it is unjust to
charge it all to any single year. The
bond plan will spread the cost more
-equitably.
An extreme example is furuishe"
by one section of heavy traffic trunk
route which took an average of 81
las a mile for upkeep in 1922 and
with unsatisfactory results. The
section is used by more than $500
ctes daily according to the traf
fic census average. Operation of the
average motor vehicle cost at least
10 cents a mile on this section anG
pavement would reduce that cost
to cents easily. Figuring conser-
vatively, and applying the average
for only 200 days in the year, there
> was possible cash saving to users
Of $4,000 mile. The cost of paving
would not exceed $4,000 mile. No
private business would reject a pro
posed investment Of $4,000 which
would yield more than $4,000 in
yearly returns.
And there are several sections on
the system in this. class-roads
which cannot be kept up with gravel
surfacing at any outlay with contin :
uance of the rapid increase in traf