The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1893-11-17
THE IMPROVEMENT OF ROADS.

question of improving our country
roads than has Gov. Flower, of New
York. He has given the subject a
great deal of study and has at all
times advocated that no legitimate
expense is too great which will give
US first class roads at all seasons Of
the year. In the current North Anaeri-
can ReUaeoo he has an article on "How
to Improve our Roads," in (which he
discusses the question as thoroughly
as it can be in short article. The
! practical question of road improve
ment, he says, is, how to get at it. He
| then discusses the matter under -four
heads-national, state. county and
town roads. National roads he dis
misses at once as entirely impractical
in this age Of the world. In early
days there might have been some JUS
titication for federal highways, but
in this age of steam and electricity he
finds none.
In the question of state roads he
finds several strong reasons why such
a plan might be adopted, butt thinks
as whole the objections outweigh
the considerations in their favor. His
idea of the matter is that the question
of improving oul roads is one that
should be put entirely ia the hands of
the counties and towns. He would
abolish the 'working"B system, and
make all road taxes payable in money,
and a roads which are cared for by
the town to be constructed under the
care of town highway commissioner
and town engineer. But the town
system ought, he thinks to be joined
with the county system, as some
towns are not apt to be as progressive
in the matter of road building as
others, and this would have more or
less of a depressing effect upon sur
rounding towns. In his opinion the
county system "offers the wisest and
most feasible plan yet suggested for
securing good highways. 1t avoids
the dangers Of the state system and
the probable failure of the town sys-
TEN. 1t respects local feeling as re-
CARDS the amount of money to be eX-
pended and the location Of the roads.
II compreheuds territory with COM
mon interests of modern geographical
limits, and so homogeneous in its
aggregation of towns that a network
of market roads could be readily map
ped out and provision made for their
construction without conflict of juris-
diction or of purpose. and without ex-
citing jealousies by the exhibition of
favor itism." Referring to the road
legislation in New York last year he
says:
Legislation enacted last Spring in
! New York illustrates more clearly the
features of the country road system.
The law is simple and optional. 1t
provides that the board of supervisors
of any county may, by a majority vote
formally adopt the county road system
and shall tneh designate as county
roads such highways as they may deem
| best for the purpose outside the limits
of Incorporated villages and cities
| The intention of the law is that, as
| far as possible, those designated cOun-
| ty roads shall be the leading market
roads of the county Thereafter the
expense of rebuilding or maintaining
these county roads is to be a county
charge, and the necessary amount of
money for this purpose is to he appro-
priated each year by the board of
supervisors. 1t may be little or much
according to their Judgment or the
wishes of their constituents. All re-
pairs or improvement thus author
lied are to be extended under the Su-
perviSion of a competent county engi-
neer, whose appointment by the board
is provided for, the purpose OF the ap-
pointmenG being to secure Intelligent
road builders under the direction of a
scientific expert. The engineer and
board of supervisors are to have sole
Jurisdiction over these county high
ways, and the town highway commits
siOnerS are to have their own powers
restricted to this extent.
This plan it would seem would have
a tendency to cause all towns
to build a good system of level
roads in connection with these
roads, which would result in giving
each county a splendid system of
roads. This law provides that county
road bonds may be issued to provide
the necessary funds to build such
county highways, the said bonds not
to run for more than twenty years;
nor bear more than per cent. interet.
This enables a county to commence a
comprehensive system of road i'm
provement and to distribute the cost
equitably through series OF years and
also put portion of the burden upon
the succeeding generation.
When the people are thoroughly con-
WINGED of the value of good roads, and
that the advantages therefrom far ex-
ceeds their cost, he thinks they will
not be long in instltutlng an improved
system of building them.
He also shows where the money
g IL hnc