The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-09-11
HOW COUNTY ROADS ARE LOOK
ED AFTER.

Yesterday The Globe published
interviews with all of the county COM
missioners on the condition of the
country roads in Ramsey county. h
C o b had previously had an inves-
tigation of these roads made by it's
own representative, and reported the
result to the people through it's col.
umns. The result showed lamentable
failure somewhere, and it was up to
the county commissioners to explain it.
Not only do they not do SO, but they
are apparently without information on
one Of the most important matters
within their jurisdiction. %'''i
Three Of the six commissioners say
that the roads in Ramsey county are
better than those of any other county,
in the state. That does not amount,
to anything until the roads of other
counties are described. Moreover, no,
such amount of money has been ex-i
pended in most of the other counties
save Hennepin. But one other of the
commissioners says that there is much
to be done, one that he does not care to
talk about the matter for publication,
and one that ''the county roads in
Ramsey county are a disgrace" If
there were any private enterprise upon
which many thousands of dollars were
being expended every year. would not
those in charge of it be expected to
know more about the business than
this?
Again, some of the commissioners
say that under the old system they
were able to get better results, while
the contract system is so bad that the
roads are getting worse every day;
Others say that, under the old system,
the money was mostly wasted and that
good results have been obtainable only
since the contract system was intro
duced Here is another irreconciIa-
bic difference about facts. But no
body tells why the contract require
ment is being eyaded by wholesale;
why the work to be done is divided
into little jobs so as to take it outside
the contract limit and permit it to be
the subject of private arrangement as
of old.
The facts remain as The Globe
has stated them. AS a whole, the
county roads in Ramsey county are
very bad. There are a few stretches
of good highway, but they are the ex-
ception And money enough has been
spent upon them to make them the
equal Of the finest roads in the world
They are bad because this money has
been mostly wasted; expended ac-
cording to methods that assured fall
methods are being retained. This is
not a matter Of vague assertion. Any
body who wants to drive over our
county roads can find out the truth
about them for himself. He will find it
as T he GIob e has stated it.
This is large and permanent in
terest. Tt affects the comfort and
wealth of the public. It affects the
business interests of st. Paul. It af-
fects every taxpayer. For these large
sums are still being levied, collected,
expended, and the good roads do not
come. The fault must be placed at
the door Of the county commissioners.
The sincere and honest men on that
body should protest against it. They
should deliver themselves of RESPONSE
bility by insisting on genuine road ina
provement. If they do not, they will
share the blame. The neople pay for
good roads and are entitled to them.
We propose to keep the fault of the.
County board before their minds if
this neglect and this abuse are not
reinedied.
r. l. Kill