The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1926-10-15
VOTE AGAINST GOOD ROADS"

The Producers News is opposed to Good Roads
Initiated Measure No. 81, which the electors will
vote November End, appearing on the special
ballot in the form of: "For Good Roads in Mon
tana" and Against Good Roads in Montana"
The bill should be defeated, if for no other
reason because of the way which it appears on the
balot--that alone should defeat it as a lesson to
the promoters of such measures for all time.
The smart practice and trickery resorted to by
the supporters of the measure, in placing the
measure upon the ballot, is a crude imposition
upon the intelligence of the voters of the State,
and is calculated to take advantage of a psyche
logical concept in no way related to the facts: it
is conceived in fraud and nurtured in deceit and
misrepresentation.
Those responsible for this contemplate trick
are already apoogizing for their part in it.
Everybody is for Good Roads in Montana" and
no one is Against Good Roads in Montana" The
sponsors of the measure in putting it upon
the ballot in this way, did it because they knew
that thousands of uniformed voters would of
course vote for "Good Roads in Montana" and
very few would vote against Good Roads in
Montana" thus getting thousands Of votes for the
measure on the basis Of a slogan that does not
disclose the facts and is in no way related to the
meaning Of the measure.
The idea of the measure was threshed out in
the 18th and 18th Legislative sessions. There
is not new thing in the measure, and was de-
feated there both sessions.
1t does not mean good roads in Montana nor
bad roads in Montana it does not mean that more
roads will be built nor less roads built
1t does not mean more labor for Montana work.
ers less work for Montana laborers.
1t does. not mean more tire saving or less tire
saving: machine saving less machine saving.
All of the publicity put out by the committee
promoting the measure is misleading and often
false. 1t is not meant to convey the truth, any
more than the form that it appears on the ballot
is meant to disclose the facts
The promoters of this measure have spent a
lot of time and money in vain trying to get it
through the legislature
They know that they cannot get it through the
Senate next winter though they can get it through
the House they did the last session. thanks to
men of the Ruffcorn, Hanson and Ryder type.
So in order to get the measure passed thew
initiated it, and put it on the ballot in the wav
they have, knowing that once the measure was
passed they could prevent its repeal
The measure merely means that the gas tax
money instead of going back to the counties as
1t does now to be used in building roads from the
farms Of producers to the elevators will be spent
IN the building of highways, with this difference,
there will be three cent tax instead of a two
cent tax as now.
! There will be no more roads built, not as much
nor as many as under the present law: there will
be no more labor material used but all of this
money will go onto tourist roads crossing the
state from east to west and north and south, con-
Meeting up the larger towns and building the
road IN the mountains from park to park and from
/ tO A.
ers of the state, to get roads to haul their pro-
duce to the railroad the best they can
Now, the writer is not opposed to three cent
gasoline tax-there is no fairer way to pet money
for roads than by gasoline tax: and three cent
tax will positively make no difference in the
price of gasoline to the consumer-it all comes ont
of the profits of the oil dealers.
In Minnesota where there is three cent tax
gas Is five or six cents per gallon cheaper than it
is in Montana, where the gas is produced Gas
always sells for all the market will stand. with
or without tax.
The two cent gas tax is now divided: SIS per
cent divided evenly among the counties of the
state; 10 per cent to the State Highway Commits
sion; and 80 per cent to the general fund of the
State
The 10 per cent to the State Highway Commits
sion was allowed that body to complete unfinished
projects, and to support the office of the State
Highway Commissioner: that money will probably
have to stay thereof course the percentage could
be cut were the tax increased to 3 cents per gal
lon: but the 80 per cent going to the general fund
Of the State should be added to the SIS per cent
now divided among the counties, making IS per
cent divided among the counties, equally With
a cent tax, this would produce nice sum for
! the road funds to be distributed and used under
the directions of the Board of County Commits
siOners where it will do the most good
No gas tax should go to the general fund of
the state
Along with this, the county road funds get the
auto license money originating in each county.
which produces quite a revenue. This plus the s
mill levy for roads ad the mill levy for bridges.
constitute all of the revenues of the county avail
able for road purposes.
The only argument that the main highway pro
motors have, is that the Federal Government is
matching dollars in the building of arterial roads.
to the amount of S1,6OO,OOO per year or $4,000
900 for the ten year period which the law pro-
vides, and that if we do not build these roads we
will lose Montanas share of the Federal road
money. They point out that in 10 years, the 8