Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1924-03-15
WHO is PAYING TIE ROAD BILL
IN WISCONSIN.
BY F. A. Cannon, Executive Secret.
airy, Good Roads Association of
Wisconsin.

In order to determine an equitable
method of adjusting the burden of
the cost of road improvement it is
necessary to get the facts as to the
present methods of highway financ-
ing. What is the situation in Wis
cousin? The situation briefly is
that up to two years ago 900 of the
cost of road improvement was paid
by a tax on general property and
only 1919 by the motor vehicle. A
total of $37,000,000 was spent on
road Improvement in 1922, of which
the federal government supplied ST.
100000, or AZ, the state S5,515,-
900, or 14.9%, the counties by direct
taxes or bond issues $19,351,000, or
52.5 %5, and the local units $t0,329,-
600, or 28Gt. This means that 7ee
was provided by indirect taxation,
the federal aid and the state aid
taken from the general fund, Slight
ly over S2qo by direct taxation, and
slightly over 10R by imposts on
automobiles. These figures are
significant.
Under the law passed by the last
legislature, all state road funds for
construction and maintenance will
come from the automobile licenses
which graduate from SO to 500.
The counties are required to raise
81, 100000 to meet the state aid of
| 1885, 900 and do this by direct taxa
ton. The 1924 road bill may be
summed up as follows. From motor
vehicle icanse fees 100000 or
1796, from federal aid indirect tax
alton 1,259,000, or 80, from direct
taxation levied by counties and
local units $32, 10000 or 500.
While the situation has been i'm
proved, as it will be noticed, and the
motor vehicle is going to pay larger
share, there is still loaded on general
property 500 Of the bill Is this
fair? It is not.
The habit of loading the cost Of
road Improvement on a general
property is habit created in the
days of horse drawn traffic when
conditions were wholly different.
Thirty years ago a farmer could
stand in front of his farm and could
call practically every one by name
who drove by with his team. They
were neighbors. 1t was a neighbor-
hood road, benefitting the neighbor-
hoods almost solely and they paid
for it.
Today the conditions are wholly
different Automobiles from all
over the country, the state and the
nation drive by the farm. Thou
sands of tourists from other states
drive by. 1t is not neighborhood
road. 1t is county, state and
national road, and in fairness, while
the people locally benefited should
pay their share, the people who get
the benefits Of the use Of the road
should also pay their share In
addition to automobiles are the huge
trucks and bussesn commercial
I business operating on these high
ways. The whole character Of
highway traffic is changed. The
/ distribution Of the benefits has
changed and there must come a
/ change in the method Of taxation.
1t was the motor vehicle which
created a demand for roads which
/ is getting the benefits and its owner
should pay a larger share Of the bill.
We would have no road marking
today, nor patrol maintenance; we
would not build concrete roads, or
be widening our gravel roads, or
I strengthening our culyerts and
bridges but for the motor vehicle.
They are getting special service for
road improvement.