The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-02-15
.s1e.23 AUTO TAX IS
NEW RATE AVERAGE.
REDUCTION FROM OLD PER
SONAL. PROPERTY TAX CON-
TINUES UNDER 1924
SCHEDULES.

SONAL ENOE Err AHN
TINUES UNDER 1924
SCHEDULES.
Minnesota owners failing to
register motor vehicles with the
secretary of state on or before
tonight are subject to penalty
of rs cents day for the first 20
days, plus So a month threaten,
not to exceed five months.
Automobile taxes for st. Louis
county car owners will average less
under new rates this year than un-
der 1923 and 1922 schedules, in
spite of the increase forecasts, &C.
cording to advance figures from the
secretary of state.
The average this year is $16.23
on the first 10000 registrations for
1924, official figures show. The
average for the last two years COM
plete was $16.52-$16.93 in 1922
and $16.11 in 1928. The old per-
sonal property tax law average was
more than SIT and under Good
Roads Amendment No. l an SIS
average was agreed, Miner readers
will recall.
Auto taxes in all the states aver
age $18.56 or $2.33 more than In
Minnesota where highway users are
receiving more than average divi-
dends in good roads savings on car
depreciation and repairs, gasoline
and tires.
Because the motor vehicle tax is
the only direct levy for trunk high
way purposes, as well as the only
tax on the machines, the owners are
paying both car and road expenses
in Minnesota, current highway
bulletin points out.
To run the average costs II cents
mile on dirt and 8h cents on
gravel roads and 2 cents a mile on
paved highwaysHcar depreciation,
repairs, gasoline, tires and all other
items counted in. Average state
trunk highways cost added, the ex-
pense is increased to 1922 cents a
vehicle mile on dirt roads, 1872
cents on graveled and 7.79 cents on
paved highways. So the total mile
cost is 3.43 cents greater on dirt
and 1.13 cents on graveled roads
than on pavement. Full details of
I0G COOL Will OC 4Q1
nished on request by the highway
department, st. Paul, the bulletin
states.
At cents mile, the driver COW
ering 5000 miles year saves $3.50,
or nearly ten times the motor veh-
icle tax. These savings depend on
progress on the highway program.
They must come with paving on the
heaviest travelled trunk routes and
crawling on others, the engineers
assert.
Minnesota, with 458 miles of paw
ing on trunk highways, including AZ
miles built last year, is being out
distanced by many other states
where car owners are paying higher
car taxes, gasoline taxes and other
wise increasing road funds to speed
highway improvements and profit by
good roads savings.
Wisconsin paved 430 miles last
year, ten times as much as Mime
sofa, and now has 1,211 miles of
paved highways. Michigan with l.
270 miles plans to add 500 miles in
1924. Illinois built LOTT miles last
year, bringing its total to 2,438
miles, and plans new 100000
900 bond issue to hasten results.
Minnesota stands 18th on & list of
Fl states reporting highway paving
advancement. California leads with
3,211 miles of pavement; New York
has 2,157 miles; Pennsylvania, l.
898; Ohio, 1,277, and North Caro-
lima, 518 miles.
Charles M. Babcock, state high
way commissioner, repeated that the
Minnesota good roads plan is work
ing out successfully, but that bond
issues will speed up progress, giving
immediate benefits without increase
in taxes.
The proposed gasoline tax amend
ment to the state constitution should
be voted next November to en-
power the legislature to make such
revisions as are deemed proper in
the highway revenue plans. A q
cent gasoline tax, he said, will mat
erially hasten the progress on high
way development and return a net
profit to all highway users. A tax
of 2 cents gallon would total So
a year for the owner of the car
travelling 4,800 miles at IL miles q
gallon, and give him in return the
use of nearly $4,000,000 of extra
highway Improvements each year.
Tourists from states collecting
gas taxes from Minnesota visitors
would contribute toward the cost sof
the good roads they travel here, the
owner would pay towards roads in
the measure he uses them, and
there are other considerations &C.
cording to the commissioner, to in
fiuence the taxpayer to vote for the