The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1924-04-17
GASTAX ECALLED
FAIREST ROAD LEVY
TAXES COME MOST FROM THE
CARS, BUSES AND TRUCKS
SOME FROM TOURISTS
PAINLESS AND POPULAR
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS OF
PLAN TO BE PUT UP TO The
MINNESOTA VOTERS

submitted at the November sCate eie.
tion already is being discussed In
Sank Centre and vicinity, as IN o!ner
narts of Minnesota, and the questions
and answers below may afford cor
rect understanding Of the proposed
plan: -
0-What is the "gas taxi"
"A tax on gasoline now levied in
&c out of the 48 states, proceeds gem
orally going toward better roads.
O-Why hasn't Minnesota a gas
A-One answer is possibly be-
cause a state constitutional amend
ment is necessary first. Such an
amendment will be voted on at the
November election, and must receive
a majority of votes cast, and not to
vote at all will be the same as voting
against it.
O-How much gas tax is proposed?
"A tax of 2 cents gallon is be-
ing talked, but that will be left to
the legislature, if the amendment is
adopted. In other states the rate
runs from 1 to cents gallon, and
often in addition to personal property,
license, wheelage and other special
present levy on motor vehicles. al
Q-Why isn't definite rate fixed!
A-The practice is to leave such
details to the legislature. Then the
state lawmakers are free to decide
whether any gas tax shall be collect
ed, and if so, how soon and how
much; whether and additional tax or
one to partially take the place OF the
present lieu on motor vehicles.
Q-Why not change solely to
gas tax?
A-Because the present state tax
is the only tax on motor vehicles and
if replaced by gas tax alone, many
large, expensive automobiles and
trucks would be taxed less in proper
ton to taxable property value than
smaller, popular cars.
Q-Why bother with any tax
change then?
Advocates of the gas tax insist
it is the fairest car and truck tax
to raise highway funds-that it COM
pels road users to pay in proportion
to the damage their vehicles do to the
roads and the benefits they get from
them; that more taxes are paid by
big, heavy, and usually costly cars,
buses and trucks, and by machines
driven the greatest mileage, also that
tourists pay toward the better high
ways they use.
Q-What are the gax tax averages?
AT 2 cents gallon, the tax on
a car going 20 miles on a gallon
would be Ito of cent mile; at 15
miles, less than 1-8 cent mile, and
at 10 miles to gallon, 1-5 OF cent
a mile.
Q-What are the yearly averages?
q
year on the car giving 20 miles a
gallon and So at 121a miles gallon,
other averages in proportion.
Q-Collected on those estimates?
A-Gas taxes are collected at fill
ing stations-added to the gasoline
price-2O cents on 10-gallon pur-
chase, 10 cents on gallons, ETC., if
the rate is 2 cents gallon. The gas
cline wholesaler has paid the tax to
the state, added it to his price to re-
taller, who in turn collects it from the
car and truck owners. The collection
cost is reported very low-about a
tenth of one per cent.
Q-What would the car owner get
"A 2-cent gas tax in Minnesota
would yield nearly 100000 the
first year to be used for more good
roads. That sum will build and
completely pay for nearly 1000
miles of dirt road, for $40 miles of
graveled road or for nearly 125 miles
of pavement, right-of-way, grading
and all other costs included, or it
will make bigger showing toward
completing partially improved roads.
In return for less than an eighth of a
cent mile taken from him, the av-
erage car owner would be given saw
ings on car depreciation, repairs,
tires, gasoline and other expenses.
With these and the figures that to
run the average car costs II cents a
mile on dirt roads, 81a cents mile
on gravel roads and cents a mile on
pavements, motor vehicle owners may
figure their own, individual profits on
the proposed gas tax and other in
vestments in better roads.
Q-What is other states exper-
fence?
A-"Painless and popular" is the
report on the gas tax for better roads
in states where it is in effect. The
10 first to adopt it have all shifted
to the gas tax larger shares of high
way fund collections, although the
majority continue to collect personal
property and special levies on motor
vehicles. The public is said to like
the gas best because it is paid in
small amounts-added into the price
of gasoline, and hardly felt.
Q-Is it good policy to tax tour
lists? IS
A-As far as the tax goes, it is
being collected in three-fourths of the
states, and without noticeable effect or
tourist travel. At 2-cent rate, the
amounts are so small that the average
motorist, unfamiliar with gasoline
prices, rarely thinks OF the fact tina
he is paying toward more good roads
It is estimated that Minnesota ga.
tax in 1925 would take $1,000,0O(
from tourists and put it in the trunl
highway fund. Minnesota car own
ers frequently pay such taxes in 9th
er states.
Q-What about gasoline for othel