The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1896-03-27
AN ENLIGHTENED VIEW.
EDITOR FREE PRESS:

EDITOR FREE PRESS:
Please allow me to use your valua-
BILE paper to made some corrections in
regard TO the Blue Earth county
"Guod Roads, convention.
l was present at the convention, but
for certain reasons took no part in it,
but think it my duty to correct wrong
ideas.
The prevailing idea that the city of
Mankato is the promoter of the Gut
terson bill is wrong, for the agitation
| for this bill started in Mcpherson
among a few farmers who are not con-
sidered to pay out any money care
lessly.
Mr.. Gutterson was requested to do
as he did, and if any one is to blame
for this it is myself.
The Gutterson bill is entirely harm
less and does not encroach pon the
rights of the farmers.
1t not only leaves them all the
rights they enjoy today, but adds
another privilege to 1T, which is to
change the present system of road
making ii they wish to do so.
| If the present system is changed.
the people in such localities have con-
| troll of the amount OF money they
wish to vote for road purposes. No
one will guard this right more care
fully than l.
| 1t is not the intention to vote as
much money for road purposes as we
do today. If l thought it necessary
to pay dollar in cash for every dol
lar l work out under the present sys-
TEN, l would not be in favor OF a
change, because times are too hard
for il, but / believe less than One-half
Of the money worked out under the
present system if paid in cash would
put our roads in far better condition
because willing and skillful labor
would take the place of unwilling
and unskilled labor.
L need not go into the details of the
evils OF the present system. 1t is
known TO every one that the roads
ia our district compare well with
other districts in the county. We
have about of mile of gravel sur
face road and we made it by putting
on about two buShel basketsful OF
gravel to load. At one time there
were six teams at work and one
Shoveler, who said he kept all the
teams busy.
| We cannot gravel all our roads but
we can gravel some.
| We can grade them all we'll, drain
| them and reduce the hills.
| Good culverGS ought to be built and
| paid for out OF the county road bridge
fund.
| The county ought to stop building
bridges for some time, for the county
is we'll enough bridged.
| Ii the next generation wants to
arch our rivers let them do so.
On state roads perhaps prison labor
could be employed.
| believe it would be well if the
state would establish standard road
bed and pay premium for every
mile So bull to the township or dis.
GrlcJ that built it.
| do not believe in the prevailing
spirit of the meeting to let "well
enough" alone, for this spirit is sure
| ~ not the mother of our modern i'm
provements.
| Many farmers thought the bicycl-
| lists were behind this movement foI
better roads. for my part nope tina
is the case, and wish them success,
| for L am sure wherever a bicycle
| speeds over the road l can draw
heavy load.
1t also adds to the liveliness of the
country to see pair of boomers spin
past our homes now and then.
| hope these wheelmen will get in-
fluence enough in Washington to
force the government to improve the
mail roads.
| The people in the cities have Their
mail delivered twice aday, and l am
glad they do, but in the country we
Can not and do not request such ser
vices, but we ought to get our mail in
our postoffice at a regular time indie
pendent of the weather and never
have it occur again to compel the
mail carrier to leave his rig in the
mud, and come in leading his horses,
as have seen it.
| The people in the cities hadn't
ought to try to reduce letter postage
until their brothers in the country
have a chance to get their mail al
schedule time in wet or dry weather
Especially if the Office is of such i'm
portance as to require daily service.
Would it not be we'll to let Uncle
Sam have one cent of the postage and
use the other to improve mail roads
according to their Importance?
great deal more might be said but
| believe other people know as much
and more than | do.
My object in writing is simply for
the purpose of taking my share of the
responsibility of the GutterSOn bill
upon myshoulders, and to reduce the