The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1926-03-26
TRUCK OWNERS
UP IN ARMS,
SECRETARY VAN HUI TALKS
STRAIGHT TO THE POINT
ON TRUCK TAX.

Several months ago, when it wa:
learned how far neaching were the
effects of the truck law" passed by
the last session of the legislature
branches of the Minnesota CONNER
cial Truck Owners Association were
organized in every town of the state
The supreme court was appealed to
but of no avail, the court holding
that the legislature knew what it was
doing and that the act was legal
In consequence of this decision, the
truck owner has been compelled to
pay high rate of taxes to the state
at large although in the majority OF
cases-for instance the merchants
delivery trucks not using state
highways but municipal streets ex-
clusively for which no maintenance
is charged the state.
The secretary of the Association
has sent a letter to the newspapers
of the state in which he states sew
eral things which are of interest to
the people of the state. He says:
GAS the 1926 State Primaries are
drawing nigh, and candidates are be.
ginning to blossom out in increasing
numbers, the highway-using public
which means practically everybody
should, we believe, be informed and
forearmed in regard to certain
things that happened in the 1925
legislature. and Of which the aver
eIge man knows very little,-if. in
deed, he has not been very carefully
misinformed.
"The 1925 session produced two
conflicting laws,-Chapter 1876. and
299,-both of which have plac I'd
very ,grievous burdens upon certain
classes of citizens who operate mot
or trucks "for hire. Chapter 300
increased the license tax from 2 and
ga percent to ten percent of the
value of the vehicles. in Class "Y''
for hire; it increased the licenses on
trucks privately owned and used
only for hauling the owners goods
(class X to 5 percent. but granted
he who hauls agricultural or dairy
products from the farm to market
reduction from 2 and ga to "a
percent.
"The State Highway Department
defends the charging of the 10
rercent license rate to class Y OPP
orators on the ground that they
ARE the chief Offenders in wearing
out the highways. They make this
absurd defense in the face of their
own traffic census showing, of last
August that "out of every ten
trucks on the highways, nine are
privately owned (class x, 5 percent,
and only one is for hire, Class Y,
10 percent!
'The District Court and the State
Supreme Court uphold Chapter. s299
as constitutional. tn latter declar-
ing that the legislature is pre-
sumed to be in possession of all the
facts, and know what it is doing
when it legislates'.' The fact re-
mains that man after man in the
1926 legislature has told us that
'he was not aware of any such legis-
lation'; that She never heard OF
such a law. that there was no such
statute on the books. and that had
any one called my attention to such
discrimination, 1 would certainly
have voiced my objections.
"But, after the Class Y operator
has complied with Chapter 299, and
paid his ten percent for the osten
sible privilege of operating his
truck 365 DAYS during 1926 in THE
ENTIRE STATE OF MINNESOTA.
as the license plate promises, he
then runs afoul of Chapter. 185.
passed by the same legislature
which saws, in effect, that HE CAN
NOT GO. This law requires the
operator to prove that there is pub
lie necessity for the operation; il
he can satisfy the Railroad & Ware
house Commission that such is the
case. he NAV make application for
permit TO OPERATE BETWEEN
TWO GIVEN POINTS EXCLUS-
IvELY. pay down $50 additional
and then be excluded from the use
of the state highways except be.
tween his assigned termini. Ano
even then, if competitor can make
better showing, he cannot even
get a permit 10 operate at all,-ex
cept within the limits of his home
town, and for which he is paying
FOUR TIMES the former price
incidentally, the home town get
not a ned cent of all this money fol
it's own street maintenanceD
"Since when, Mr.. Editor, can the
State of Minnesota, through it's leg
islature prohibit its citizens from the
free use of the public highways fol-
which they have all paid, and par.
ticularly those who are charged -four
times as much as others for thei,
use?
"To say that they were ignorant
of such legislation having slipped y
them, seems an admission on the
part of a good many members q
| THE 1926 legislature that there was
something overlooked somewher
something that calls loudly for cor
rection on the part of those whf
aspire to represent the people ii
1927.
"But this is by no means the enc
of the story. Comes now Commits
sioner of Highways Charles M. Bah
cock, with a proposal to ask the
1927 legislature for bond issue OF
a mere $4,000, 900, in order THAI
the 1000 mile highway system O.
Minnesota may be completed IL
TWO YEARS. To pay the interes
and maturities on the bond issue, HI
modestly adds an increase recon
mendation in automobile licenses
PLUS another half-cent addition t.
the gasoline tax. 1t is not known