The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-10
EOR GOOD ROADS.


We fear that it is rather late il the
day to hope for much good from the
legislature in the way of providing for
road Improvement in Minnesota This,
which is easily the first of all questions
that could possibly come up for legis-
lative consideration, as far as the COM
fort and prosperity of the farmers of
the state are concerned, has thus far
had to take a back seat. All sorts Of
wild schemes for taxing somebody or
something out of existence, or for
launching the state into wild eXtrava-
ganzas, have held the boards, with no
action at all on what would add to
the value of farm products and farm
properties more than all the changes
in railroad rates that could possibly be
secured. Finally, at the eleventh hour,
we have a bill introduced by Mr.. Doug
las, of Moorhead, which seems to us to
contain features so valuable that it
ought to have the serious and favor
ing attention of the legislature
1t provides that constitutional
amendments shall be submitted to the
people authorizing a tax Of one-twen-
tieth of a mill annually to create a
road and bridge fund, and also to turn
over to the same fund the income from
the internal improvement fund. 1t is
estimated that this would provide a
revenue of $4,000 a year, growing an
nually that might be used for the i'm
provement of our highways. This
money would be expended under the
direction of a proper board for the
building of good roads in different sec
tions of the state, it being provided
that not less than 1 nor more than
per cent should be used in any one
county, and that, in order to draw
any appropriation from the state each
county must contribute at least 81 for
| every dollar paid by the general fund.
| This seems to us to be open to criti-
cism only in the provision that at least
per cent of the fund must be spent
in each county, and in the arrangement
for board of road commissioners who
are to serve the state without compen-
sation. Road improvement is a costly
business, and to try to make it cheap
and spread a small amount of money
over large area is simply to invali-
| date the scheme. You can build a few
miles of road that will last, with a lit
tie care, for generations, and you can
scatter the same amount of money
upon incomplete work over larger
mileage, where there will be nothing
whatever to show for it after the end
of one or two seasons. Road improve
ment in this country means road con-
struction. We have to begin at the
beginning, put in a proper foundation
and lay down an enduring surfacing.
under the direction of a skilled road
engineer. Anything short of S1is gives
us, after little while, something like
an old neglected turnpike that is &C
tually worse than a dirt road in it's
natural condition. 1t is better to con-
! centrate resources in a small area CIV
! ing each section Of the state its share
in its due turn, and do thorough work
while we are about it.
Again, there is no earthly need of
another board for this business. In
heavens name, let US get away from
! the perfect nightmare of boards that
! Expresses the dreams of Minnesota's
| greatness. Whoever looks after road
| construction and repair must he a
man of experience and knowledge,
and must give his time and attention
| to it. That any such person VIII serve
! the state gratuitously it is ridiculous to
suppose. All that is needed is one COM
petent engineer, employed by the state
| at q suitable salary, to do the work.