Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-12-16
HOW GET sEsT ROAD INVEST.
MENT

MENT
II people INSIST on going awheel;
II they much prefer to ride upon
rubber instead Of riding upon iron
or water-there are indications of
such a state OF mind--then Mrs.
Partington will sooner sweep back
the tide than lawmakers may change
the popular taste.
il. In this State. there be a car to
every six persons. and 30 1t Ia said,
then are the public" and car own
ers" fast becoming synonymous
terms. the people are the car owners
and tho car owners are the people.
30 II II be essential that the people
be saved from themselves then the
car owners win have to do It. and
vice versa.
Manifestly any plan under which
the people may do that. do It to the
best advantage. at the least expense
to Themselves. should receive ap-
prevail. Briefly. such a plan consists
In building n suitable mileage of
suitable roads and keeping them
suitable. The State highways In
Maine are not being paid for by
taxes. but by motorists for use Of
these.
We do not think of rentals. SER
vice bills and such from the tele-
phone and electric light companies
and public conveyances as taxes.
Yet in the same class with these
are tho automobile registry fees
and so-called gasoline taxes, pay
ments for services rendered. The
gasoline bill II no more a tax than is
the fare on q railroad. than 10 the
annual payment by the car owner
into the bond pool for building state
highways.
The far-sighted. enterprising per-
son may decide to invest in a build =
ing. He takes into consideration
what Is to be had from that invest
ment. II we'll advised he will secure
Q building from which he may get
best returns from his investment.
Tho car owner invests in motor
equipment. He needs . road to travel
upon Under the present arrange.
ment the car-owner Is building the
trunk lines and supporting the State
highway department. when he regis
ters his car and buys his gasoline.
He 50 invests capital. expecting re-
turns. 1t Is demonstrated beyond
question that on good roads his
fuel bill Is considerably less and 80
Is tho up-keep OF his car. II ne
travels much on the paved roads he
saves more than his fees In that
way. In the state Of Illinois. where
the average registry fee 10 nine dol.
lars. It Is estimated that II he
travels but 900 miles on the paved
roads he has saved in gas and
upkcep bills more than the amount
OF his registry fee. as COM
pared with what it would have cost
him TO have travelled altogether on
poor roads.
Investing In poor roads Is an ex.
travagance: investing In good roads
Is a paying investment productive of
the greatest returns In that for
which the investment is made.
Every car owner Is Interested In
this as n matter OF investment, not
as n matter OF taxes. assuming that
he Is seeking the best returns for
his money expended In motor travel.
II he decides to give up seeking such
returns In motor travel but re-
mains a taxpayer he las no oc.
cssion to worry so long as those
who travel by motor continue to
provide the roads.
But tt he feels that he Is con-
tcibuting little from his taxes for
the subsidiary roads. which are not
built or wholly maintained by the
motorists, but which are travelled by
them to limited extent. II he feels
that he Is contributing little more
to such roads than he would were
there no motor cars run over them.
then he must look for his returns on
account Of the roads from some
other source than from motor travel
In which he does not indulge. There
are returns from good roads, good
subsidiary roads, in increased valu-
alton Of property. STABILITY. to men,
ton some Of the advantages. Is
such taxpayer suffering because Of
good roads? 1t would be difficult to
produce any convincing evidence
that he IL. On the contrary he,
too, profits from them.