The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1931-01-08

special traffic problem, due to their
greater weight and the fact that
they want to use the highways the
year around, regardless of weather.
Yet trucks are nearly all engaged
in essential business, manv of them
carrying farm products to market,
and they have as much right to an
adequate road as any other vehicle.
Pointing out that increases in the
license tax and gas tax, or the au-
thorization of bonds are the only
methods open to the Legislature to
provide more trunk highway funds,
Mr.. Babcock suggests that unifor-
nifty in motor vehicle taxes is desir
able. Including personal property
taxes which are still levied on autos
in "a states, all but one or two
states now collect more from the
average car owner than Minneso-
Ia does. The license fee in Mime
sofa is near the average rate, and
these fees are not likely to be
changed in many states. Minncso-
ta's gas tax is half cent under the
average, and number of states
will probably increase the rate this
winter. II it is increased to four
cents, Minnesota will probably still
be under the average.
"The unemployment situation Is
an additional reason why Highway
construction should be speeded UP
and why proposed work should be
got under way at the earliest posi-
BILE date" says Mr.. Babcock. while
unemployment should not be made
an excuse for doing any work which
is not otherwise justified, period
Of unemployment is an opportune
time to do needed highway con-
struction, as well as other neces-
sary public works. The state will
receive full value for its expendi-
lures, and the work will not only
provide employment for hundreds
of men directly in highway con-
struction, but also for many others
who will furnish materials and
equipment, and to others who will
be indirectly benefited by the en-
ployment of these men,"
The only way in which any sub
stantial increase in trunk highway
funds can be made Immediately
available is through bond issue,
Mr.. Babcock adds, and he urges
that it be given consideration early
in the session. It will take several
weeks after such a bill passes be-
fore contracts can be let and actual
work started. If such bill is ap-
proved early in the session, he says,
it would be possible to prepare
plans and let contracts so that work
could start as soon as weather per-
mits in the spring, but if final ac-
ton is not taken until April, it
would be after midsummer before
the additional work would give any
men new jobs.
A combination Of the bond plan
and gas tax is suggested, but this
does not require that they be con-
port says. The bond issue might
be acted on early in the session. If
it is adopted, an increase in the gas
tax might be considered as means
of fastening the retirement Of the
bonds, while if the bond plan does
not pass, the gas tax might be used
to provide additional funds for
construction. The gas tax alone,
however, will not provide any UNI
employment relief. Mr.. Babcock
adds. A one cent increase would
provide $3,375, 900 additional in
come per year, of which two-thirds
would go into the trunk highway
fund. The increase would not be in
effect the whole year in 1881 and
the additional revenue would not be
available in time to be put into
construction until late in the sum-
mer.