The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-30
HASAFATAL DEFECT
Those Interested Oppose the Adop"
ton Of the Proposed Good
Roads Amendment.
The Measure Provides More Funds,
but Not for Expending Them
Judiciously.


the proposed constitutional amendment.
to be voted upon at the election next
Tuesday, and which provides for an in
crease In the tax levy for the purpose Of
state aid in the construction of public
highways, would be a mistake. Naturally
Mr.. Cooley does not object to the larger
sum Of money which would be available
under the proposed change, but he does
object to the adjustment of the highway
commission, for which the new law makes
no provision, and without which he be-
lieyes the work desired cannot be done
satisfactorily. Says MIR. Cooley:
while the proposed amendment gives
us one-tenth instead of one-twentieth Of
a mill on the dollar, it fails to provide for
the creation of state highway commits
sion, such as is authorized in the amend
ment adopted in 1898. The history of the
good roads movement in the older east
ern states, notably New York, Pennsylva-
MIA. Massachusetts,, New Jersey and
Rhode Island, where the work of 1mprov-
ing the highways is under the manage
ment of a state highway commission,
shows that since the Inauguration of the
system a wonderful improvement has been
| made in the condition Of highways. The
cost of transportation has been reduced
from rs cents per ton per mile to one-half
and, In many cases, even tot one-third of
that amount; and in Hennepin county.
where the system is practically the same
as would be adopted by a state highway
commission, the cost of hauling farm
produce to the Minneapolis market has
been reduced in an equal ratio.
1T is fact that the cost of transport
tation on a ten-mile haul over the pri-
mary roads of this state in their present
condition is greater than the cost Of
transporting the same amount of freight
from New York to Liverpool by steam
H. S1 q~~ 4l.~k -
costs the farmers Of this country more
| than three times those Of Europe to mar
ket an equal tonnage Of their products.
! The people of Minneapolis and st. Paul
are paying out each year on the advanced
! price of produce due to the extreme cost
! of haul, the sum of nearly a quarter of
! a million dollars, an amount sufficient
| to build from SO to 100 miles of road an
nually, on which loads three times great
err than those now hauled could be trans
ported every day in the year.
| If the proposed amendment is car
ried at the coming election, the result
would be to add 100000 per year to the
present fund to be dispensed in accord
ance with previous usage, and from which
little or no benefit would be derived for
the highways of the state. It is, there
| fore, important that the amendment be
defeated in order that highway com
mission may be established and a sys-
tenn Of state aid adopted whereby all
portions of the state may share in the
distribution of the fund and another steE
taken toward the Improvement Of oul
highway system ,..%-.
The first decisive step toward state
aid of public highways in Minnesota
came in 1897 when Mr.. Douglass Of Clay
county introduced a proposed constitu.
tional amendment which was subsequent
| ~ adopted at the election of 1898 by q
vote of 70.04S' to 3S,o17 This amend
ment provides for state aid according tt
a plan similar to fthaa2 in suse in New
Jersey, where it has proved shighly1 sat
isfactory. It authorizes the Legislature
to establish a state road and bridg<
fund and TO provide for a. state high
way commission, the members to serve
without compensation and to have gen
eral supervision of the expenditure O.
the fund. It further provides however
that the state shall pay not to exceed
one third the total cost of any roat
built, the remaining two thirds to be pait
by the locality affected, the. actual con
struction to be supervised by the loca
authorities, the commission merely de
termining, in general way, what tn
character of the road shah be; and thu
money to be raised from the interest OF
the public improvement fund and a tai
levy of not to exceed 1-20 Of a mill o.
all the taxable property in the state.
}, Next came Mr.. ElwelIs bill, intended
| to carry out the provisions of this amend
ment, and introduced late in the session
of 1899. This bill, however, got side
tracked in the legislature and failed t.
; become a law. Nothing further was don
In the matter until the session Of 1901
when bill was introduced in the legis
lature, providing for a further constitu
tional amendment, the one now befor
the people, and which,. as has alread:
been said, increases the possible lev
? from 100 to 1-10 Of a mill, but whic!
omits all mention of a state commits
sion.
The present constitutional provision ha