Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-05-19
THE FOOT LAKE ROAD.

THE FOOT LAKE ROAD.
The Willmar Gazette takes US
to task for some observations on
the Foot Lake road, and claims
that our remarks were ''evident-
ly intended to create prejudice
by trying to stir up the farmers
of the town of Willmar against
it," which of course is not so.
It also says that "a large major
ity of the heavy tax payers of
this village are public spirited
enough to be ready and willing
to pay a little extra tax in order
to provide much needed en-
trance into town from the north,"
which may all be true for all we
know, but it has no bearing on
this case, ;ts the auditor stated
that there would be no extra
tax levied, but the ordinary road
and bridge tax Of the district in
volved would be appropriated to
pay the bonds and interest there
On to build the road. We should
much have preferred to have
had an extra tax levied for the
dump, for that would haveleft the
road and bridge fund to be ap-
piled as usual. Again:
In every community there
are people ready to oppose any
enterprise and improvement and
this town is no exception Now
Bro. Crosby, we do not oppose a
bridge across Foot Lake, nor do
we believe any resident even Of
the the 3rd Ward opposes it as
an improvement. But we be-
lieved the method Of going at tits
wrong in principle. We believe
those who oppose this Foot Lake
project are perfectly willing to
be taxed 50 cents a year On every
100000 assessment, or five
times that much if necessary, for
improvements of a road across
Foot Lake or elsewhere provided
the proposition had been fairly
laid before the people in the US.
ual way. We believe the citizens
Of the township Of Willmar and
of the village Of Willmar are the
proper parties to say how their
road and bridge fund ought to
be expended. We believe
farmers who live south
of town, who for
months past have waded
through an almost impassable
road-a road where fifty teams
passes every day to one that will
ever pass across the Foot Lake
road-should have been consult
ed before the bulk of the
common road and bridge fund of
the township had been disposed
Of for years. We are much mis-
taken if the farmers east, south,
and west of town in view of the
present miserable condition of
the main thoroughfares leading
in these directions do not make
a protest that will make some
body's ears tingle when they find
out the true state of affairs in re,
ard to this dump across the lake.
We believe that the township OF
IWill1nar and the village Of Will
| mar could we'll afford to bond it.
self for $40, ,000 if necessary te
| build three Or four good roads
leading in different directions
but we do not believe that one
particular road should steal {
march ON the rest, even if i
could be legally done, to the dis
advantage of other sections of the
surrounding county. And we d.
not believe that the village coult
benefit itself in that way. W,
ale not opposed toimprovement.
but we are opposed to what ap
lpears to many disinterested citi
zens to be a snap game, and al
unwarranted grab at a large por
| ton of the common road an,
bridge fund Of the town. VIII,
| WASH t this matter laid before th
town meeting last springa No
one five hundreth of our citizen
knew anything about this law b,
virtue of which the county com
missioners can be made the Gus
todians Of the common road an
bridge fund OF part of a toW1