Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1898-10-27
GOOD ROADS,.

i Democratic papers and cartoonists s
have scornfnllX and sneerlnglv re-
:, ferred to the "good roads plank" in
4 the Republican state platform, and
/ held it up AS I'm example of narrow
ness and Efficiency of republican
reform ideas, But. this fact more
than any thing else 'demonstra tes
how impractical and visionary are
the reform ideas OF the democrats
Instead of constantly theorizing
over imaginary evils, the repu blicans
| advocate and inangnrate practical
and usefnl reform measures. What
question can be more practical and
OF more concern to the farmer tina n
thatlof good roads? tt is a matter
of tile greatest Importance to him.
It is {. matter that concerns him
every time fie?t;kes a load OF wheat
to town. every time he takes his
family to. visit the home of a neigh
hor, every morning that his children
scamper off to school. The state OF
Il country's civilization is measured
to certain extent by the kind of
roads, it has. Until recently the
matter Of good roads has not re-
ceived proper attention in this coun-.
try. Road construction has been
carried on in a very shiftless and I'm
scientific manner in almost every
sta te nf the union. Now who shall
build good couRtry roads? It is n ot
fair that the farmers bear all the ex
pense of building good roAas. The
republican legislature of two years
proposed an amendment to the con-
stitution in {, fill introduced by w.
B. Douglas, of Moorhead, now the
republican candidate for attorney
general, said anendment providing
for state aid for good roads accord
] ing to q plan that was adopted in
New Jersey several years ago. md
proved very satisfactory. BY this
proposed amendment the Legislature
is authorized to establish a State
road and bridge fund, and; provide
for. a State highway commission,
whose members IN ust serve without
pay, and which shall have general
supervision. OF the State road and
J bridge fund. This amendment does
not contemplate that the State shall
actually construct any wagon roads,
but that it shall contribute not to
exceed one-third:sof the cost of any
road, the other two-thirds to be
paid by the locality where the road
is built. The actual construction OF
the road so, built is TO be under the
immediate supervision Of the local
authorities, the: State commission
:+simply detertnining, ina generalway
what the charaeter5 of the road shall
!! be and requiring, before the State
pays any money for theimprovement
THAT the road shall RECONSTRUCTED
;;Ehaccording to: plans which it has APP
tproved. But how is, this state road
land bridge fund TO be.Iaised? Inthe
first place it will have the; income
from the present internal improve
lment fund. ThesUnited States long
,tago. did give Minnesotn 500, 900
!acres Of land forstate improvements,
and. the. interest on the money OBJ
j tanned from the sale OF this land is
Etalled "Inteplal1 Improvement Land
! Fund" This fund has heretofore
been distributed in & a ';lnaphazard
fashion for bridges ~ the different
state legislatures, the member bav-
ling the strongest 5.pulP' often get
}ting the money. In the second
place a tax not exceeding one-twen-
tieth Of one mill isto be levied upon
,!;al' the taxable property OF the state
), for this fund. Thus city property
will have to contribute It's share to-
ward building good country roads.
The rich mensof M nrleapolis. and ST.
Paul will have to help the ff:arlners Of
i Marshall county guild good roads.