The Sidney herald., 1956-10-04

Helena - The 1855 Legislature
submitted to the voters at the
November 6 election a proposed
constitutional amendment design
ed TO protect highway user tan
receipts against diversion to pur-
poses other than highways. Twen-
ty-five states, including all those
bordering Montana, have such q
constitutional restriction, which
has been repeatedly urged by
Montana groups promoting de-
velopment of the states high
way system.
This amendment, as it will APP
pear on a special ballot, applies
to monies paid into the state
treasury which are derived from
fees, excuses or license taxes re-
lating to registration, operation
or use of vehicles on the public
highways or to the fuels used
for the propulsion of such We
hicles."
Clearly the amendment does
not apply to property taxes on
motor vehicles, nor does 1t take
away CT limit any authority n
der statutory law that counties
and municipalities now have to
finance construction and mainten-
ance of their roads, bridges
and streets. Likewise the coun-
ties would continue to receive
the net income from motor regis
tration fees, the only restriction
here being that the money must
be spent for road purposes.
Refund of the gallonage tax on
gasoline used off the public high
ways is not interfered with and
remains entirely in the province
of the legislature. These refunds
are of concern chiefly to farmers
and ranchers.
The amendment leaves to the
legislatures discretion the max
ing of appropriations from the
state highway fund for what,
shorn of legalistic language, is
tourist advertising. Currently
$685. 900 a year is being made
available for this purpose, which
the legislature recognized as a
highway objective, in that money
expended to attract visitors to
the state results in more reve-
nue. through fuel taxes for the
state highway fund. This invest
ment is paying dividends many
fold.
At its September meeting the
Fact Finding Committee on High
ways, Streets and Bridges, Great
ed by the 1855 legislative assem-
bly,, strongly and unanimously en-
dorsed the anti-diversion amend
ment. Former interim highway
study committees of this nature
have urged this constitutional
protection of highway funds.
The campaign in support of the
amendment has its focus in the
Montana Highway Users Con-
ference, of which Alfred F.
Dougherty, Helena lawyer, IS
chairman. Membership includes
organizations as the Montana
Automobile association, Montana
Automobile Dealers association,
Montana Motor Transport associ-
alton and others interested IN the
highway situation. Labor and
farm organization leaders are al
so giving their support.
Both political parties, in their
1856 platforms, have endorsed
The amendment. So the proposal
S about as bipartisan and nom /,
partisan as anything could be- I
There has been virtually no !
diversion Of highway user taxes
n Montana for some years, but
his is because the state high !
way fund income, and the general I
redit of the state as well, has I
,een pledged for paying of a q
uccession of bonds voted by the
,eople. The present issue will be ?
etired not later than 1858, and y
Inless, meanwhile, the people de- =
ide to continue credit financing :
t highway construction, the door a
viii be open to diversion, in the q
bsence of a prohibitory provi-
ion in the constitution.
A lot of money is at stake
nd Montana needs every dime of
with which TO match the vastly
ncreased federal aid allotment
4 the law enacted by congress L
few months ago. This new ma N
highway program is said
} be the biggest public works al
rogram in all history. If the u
latter is handled e~quitably and g
ealistically so far as the various A
user groups r concern M
d, Montana can keep pace, but VI
bviously this would be impos- X
bile if highway funds were N
effected to non-highway func-
ons of the state government 70
Some of you may remember te
pod roads movements of years OF
20 when the slogan was Get or
[sntana Out of the Mud" and 10
hen getting Montana out OF the 81