The Saint Paul globe., 1902-02-10
more pointers in an hour than he might
dream of in a year
STAND BY coon Ro4Ds.

STAND By GOOD R04DS.
The first practical effort of the local
good roads movement is presented for
the consideration of property owners
through the preliminary order for the
macadamizing of Rice street from Front
street to Maryland street.
Rice street was adopted by the joint
good roads committee as ore of the city
streets which should be improved to the
city limits for the promotion Of our local
trade The estimated cost of the i'm
provement is stated at s2O,G30 an amount
which will represent a heavy burden on
property values along the street.
1T is safe to look forward to much op-
position from the property owners. It
will be declared that the plan practically
involves confscation Of the property af-
fected. The benefits which will ensue
are not likely to present themselves to
the property owners as Offering any
adequate compensation for the heavy
outlay which will be involved in an as
sessment of $1.40 a running foot
1t is in this manner that the commu-
nifty will be brought face to face with
the most serious. if not the only serious,
problem involved in the successful con-
duct of the local good roads movement.
City authority will Of course discharge
all it's obligations in the premises with
as much of advantage to the interests
involved as possible. The city railway
company can be made to bear proper
tion of the cost. 1t ought also, if there
were any way of securing that end, be
made to pay for the prospective gain in
voIved in the improvement Of the street
beyond the present limits of its service
on that street.
So far as 1t can be legally done the
cost of that Improvement will be levied
on adjacent property benefcially affect
ed. It is the duty of the local authori-
ties to see that that much is accomplish
ed. But the Rice street property owners
will in the last event be made to bear
the bulk Of the resulting burden.
When the burden Of the widening of
Slbley street came recently to be borne
by surrounding property the owners In
sisted that the city could bear it's share
of the cost of the Improvement as one
which had a general value to the city
and it's people. The claim was not sus-
tained in that case. 1t probably would
not be in this. Yet the fact remains that
in an infinitely greater degree than in
the case of the Sibley street improve
ment is the Rice street improvement
one Of general value to the city The
same statement applies to the propos-
ed Improvement of all the other streets
selected by the joint good roads commit
tee for improvement as arteriaI thor
oughfares.
The individual property owners ought
to be relieved of as large a proportion
of the resulting cost as is just and
reasonable. To this end it may become
necessary to apply to the legislature for
such remedial legislation as will enable
the city to bear it's share of the burden.
The subject is Of prime Importance to
the city. The movement in which it is
the first step ought not to be allowed to
fail. The committee from which the
suggestion of the improvement of these
streets first came should at this stage
step in and protect the great public
service which they rendered from fail
ure as the result of the opposition Of
individual property owners which is GER
tain to be made. That opposition will
in all probability be sufficient to defeat
the local good roads movement unless
prompt and intelligent action is taken.