The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1926-02-04
Car and Gas Taxes 5000
an Average in Minnesota
Auto Licenses Below Rate Pledged;
Going Lower-Truck Fees Up -
Gas Tax Returns
Total 576.472 Av S16.83

Total 576,472 Av $16.S3
ga" tags. on $12 minimum tax au-
tos, "B" over $12; &C" on 10 per
cent tax commercial buses; ''r'' on
SIS minimum tax trucks; "X' over
SIS tax trucks; "Y'' on 10 per cent
commercial trucks; emp on motor
cycles; 81" on trailers, and ed" on
dealers plates.
Minnesota's average motor vehicle
last year yielded a $16.83 registra-
ton fee and 1854 in gasoline taxes,
on official figures given out this week
from state departments in the capitol
in St. Paul. Average taxes on var
ious tag or plate classes of autos and
trucks and estimates prorating gas
taxes on different classes as given
above, are believed to afford accur-
ate ideas of tax averages on motor
vehicles in Sank Centre and vicinity.
More than half of the Minnesota
owners paid an average of $15.35 on
passenger automobiles and the 9TH
ers about $25.35 in combined auto
and gas taxes during 1925. Those
were the only taxes on the machines,
and their only contributions toward
improving the main highways to re-
duce car operating expenses. At the
| 1925 rate, $15.25 would have been
! the personal property tax on an $500
automobile if levied in Minnesota.
The automobile tax last year contin-
ued lower than that under the old
personal property tax and state IL
cense laws and lower than the SIS
pledged under Good Roads Amend
ment No. for the Improvement and
maintenance Of the 1000 mile system
of Babcock roads.
Present indications for this year
are that auto tax cuts of from Is
to 80 per cent, due to the reduced
rates and lower list prices of cars,
will be partially offset by the full
year receipts from the gas tax which
was in effect but eight months this
year and further increases from larg-
er numbers of cars in the state.
Many predictions are for smaller
trunk highway income during 1926,
meaning further curtailment of need
ed highway improvements because of
the auto tax reductions.
Official figures from the state cap
itol showed $9,704,478 of taxes on
576,472 motor vehicles, classed as in
the foregoing table. The average
tax was $16.83, including all kinds of
machines from motorcycles big buss-
es and trucks for hire. In addition
there was $62,408 from miscellane-
Gus payments, such a chauffeur Ii
censes, incomplete registrations, de-
linquencies and penalties.
| Minnesota's good roads income
from the new gas tax in 1925 was
$3,863,940. 1t was unofficially esti-
mated that tourists payments and the
taxes on miscellaneous and unrelated
tax-exempt consumption totalled
about 100000. PROBATION of the re-
mainder gave the foregoing gas tax
| averages on various classes of motor
vehicles, such averages as less than
50 SO on the majority and less than
| SIS on the other private automobiles.
Incidentally, it was called to at
| tention that more than $50,00O,00O
was spent for gasoline in the state
last year, and the bulk for motor
fuel.
The new gas tax, highway officials
said, brings the total levy on motor
vehicles few dollars above the pro-
portionate tax on other property and
the margin lifts Minnesota from
among the few remaining states which
impose no special auto tax for road
purposes. The officials stated that
the few extra dollars represents the