The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-06-16
THURSDAY, JUNE is, 1904
HOW TO GET GOOD ROADS

The Ramsey County Good Roads as
sociation starts off with the amplest
promise of success. Everybody sympa-
thizes with it's purpose, and is ready to
give moral support and a reasonable
amount of personal effort to it's work.
At last there is a reasonable interest
in road Improvement. and at last
partial consciousness of the losses that
we suffer by the abominable condition
Of our highways. If only there shall
also be at last determination to take
the proper and necessary steps for Sc
curing good roads. the thing will be
done.
The. executive committee of the as.
sociations has decided to attempt the
adoption of continuous programme of
Improvement for a period of five years
VARIOUS subcommittee have been
named to labor with the council for the
Improvement of city streets which con-
meet with county roads, and with the
expanding properly adequate public
funds for road improvement. We think
that the programme which will lead the
association to success is very simple
and obvious.
There is just one door and only one
open for the success of the good roads
movement in this county. The way lies
through the board of county commits
sioners. We need absolutely nothing
today to make good roads certain, as
we have needed nothing within the last
ten years, but an intelligent and honest
county board that will expend public
funds properly and place the public in
terest above their miserable little petty
personal profit. The people are spend
ing enough money now for this partic-
ular purpose to give them as good
roads and as many of them as they
need; but the county board is throwing
1t away We need not a fraction of a
mill additional taxation and not a par
ticle of additional machinery, but merely
the decent discharge of public duties
by those to whom they have been in
trusted.
1t is good thing that a good roads
association should have so large a
membership numerically. eThfs will
count in the only direction needed. The
organization must pledge itself to bring
pressure to bear upon the board of
county commissioners. 1t must have
behind it solid list of men who will
agree to Danish from public life every
man in county Office who refuses to as
sist in the good roads movement. All
that we have to do is for the county
commissioners to throw away not one
dollar on so-called repairs, but to ac-
cept plan for genuine and permanent
road making, under the advice and with
the assistance of the officers of the
committees of the good roads associa-
ton. Just as soon as these gentlemen
agree to that and devote the money at
their disposal for that purpose. we
shall begin to have good roads; and we
shall continue to so on getting them
until there is not foot of highway in
Ramsey county below the quality of
the best roads in Great Britain and on
the continent.
Now we know enough of the county
board to know that it is not amenable
to ordinary influences. It's thick hide
can be touched by nothing but the lash.
1t can be reached through fear. The
good roads association should present
tits ultinatum and proceed to carry it
out We do not care penny who
profits politically, Republican or Demo-
crat. but our assistance Shall be given