The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-24

fdent for the Ensuing Year.
Good roads was the subject that en-
crossed the largest share of attention
during yesterdays session of the Min
nesota Surveyors and Engineers So
ciety at the St. Paul Commercial club
rooms in the Germania Life building.
Several of the leading members Of the
society strongly urged the necessity
for concerted action to secure gen
eral cooperation of all forces to OBJ
tain legislation favorable to the i'm
pIoVement of highways throughout the
state. They believed that a campaign
of education in that direction was es-
sential and they advocated sySte-
matte distribution of good roads litera-
ture in agricultural districts, to con-
vince the farmers that their own in
terests demanded such legislation.
The discussion was opened by Prof.
W NJ Hays. who said that, though the
agitation for good roads was started
by wheelmen. it had become generally
recognized as a matter Of the highest
Importance to all classes. Good roads
We're as necessary for the convenient
transportation of farm products as rail-
roads, and the farmers institutes were
becoming interested in the question.
Prof. Hays referred to the proposed
constitutional amendment providing for
an annual state appropriation of $40,-
600 or $50 900 to aid in the construction
of good roads and said it was such a
small sum for that purpose that it
should be ratified. Prof. Hays said
that the secretary of the proposed state
commission should be a person thor
oughly competent 70 supervise it's work
Too many mistakes had been made in
the construction Of bridges by incom-
petent engineers. and in the future they
should be avoided. The commission
would have plenty of useful work on
It's hands, and he hoped it would be
composed of men who understand the
work.
The subject Of good roads naturally
led to that Of bicycle paths, and
paper on that topic was read by George
L. Wilson. Mr.. Wilson expressed him
self as being in favor OF building BIZ
cycle paths wherever practicable, and
said they should be constructed with
the greatest care. They were an at
tractive feature for any place, and of
great value to every community
Prof. w. r. Hoag read a paper on
his experiences in the Red river dis
trict and Of the measures taken to
drain it, and that was followed by a
paper by A. B. Choate on Good Roads
Legislation Mr.. Choate said in part:
Gentlemen of Minnesota Surveyors and
Engineers Society-It is a pleasure to speak
to you on the subject of highway improve
sympathy with the movement and that you
viii do whatever is in your power to pro
mote road Improvement and spread informa-
ton on the subject.
Since l addressed you about year ago.
phase of the good road question has been
revived and is demanding a great deal of
attention thro- ghout the United Sta.cs
which has until recently, been almost en-
trely neglected. After years CT agitation
ana condemnation of the farmers for fail
ure to build good country roads the agt-
tators have discovered that they have been
trying to work an injustice upon the farm
ers- The mistake was not in demanding
good roads, but in asking the farmers to
build good roads in the country without
taxing city property to help pay for them.
Equal Taxation.
The constitution of this state requires
that all property in this state shall pay
taxes equally according to it's cash value
that no man shall be required to pay any
more taxes than any other man who has
property OF equal value
Now, it is easy TO see that If the farm
ers alone are required to pay the expenses
of building good country wagon roads, this
principle of equal taxation upon a cash
valuation Of property will be violated. The
taN-paying property of Minnesota Ike
most states. consists chiefly of farm and
city property. The exact ratio of value
between the two is not known but more
tlan 0ne-haf OF the taxable property in
Minnesota is In the cities and Villages, with
continual tendency, as the state grows
cider 20 increase the value of city Or Darty
as compared with the value OF farm prop
erty. Sc great is this tendency throughout
the United States generally that in some
OF the Eastern states. where large cities
nave grown up, the proportion OF taxes
paid by the farmers TO that paid by the
owners OF city properly, is very small in
de- deed. For examrle; In New York state
the formers pay bet che eve nth cf the state
taxes. The bearing which this fact has
upon the question of state aid is very ap-
parent; for if the farmers are required to
pay taxes on their proportionately very
small amount of property to improve the
long stretches of country roads while the
city people only pay enough taxes on their
great wealth to improve the roads within
the city limits. l. will bo necessary that
the o taxes evted upon the farm prcr erty
snail be very much heavier ii proportion to
the value Of that property than the ROAD
taxes upon City p!opertV. and the principle
OF equal tayal II required by our constitu-
tiGn viii be violated.
Without an attempt at accuracy because
the average proportion of city wealth and
territory to that of farming wealth and
territory is unknown. this inequality NAV
be illustrated. Let the figure l represent
the territory of the state outside of the
cities and towns and the figure represent
the Talue Of the taxable property in the