The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-12-14
ROAD WORK PLANS
State Association Suggests
Changes in Law
DO AWAY WITH POLL TAX
Legislative Committee Submits Sew
eraI Propositions; Counties 10
Select Superintt ndenls.
From Saturdays Daily.

From Saturdays Daily
Minnesota's roads are now in the
hands OF the 1907 legislature and it re-
mains for the lawmakers to say wheth-
er the roads shall ne put in good condi-
ton and kept so or wheIner tne present
unsatisfactory conditions shall exist
during the next two years.
The State Good Roads association at
It's thirteenth annual meeting drew up a
number of proposed amendments to the
present laws relating to good roads and
the legislature will be asked to pass ia
vorably upon the proposed changes. The
amendments were drawn mp by the state
highway commission and submitted to
the good roads association at the open
ing day of the convention, when, after a
general discussion, a legislative commit.
tee was appointed to report on the mat.
ter.
1t is proposed to do away with the Of
flee of county surveyor as an elective
office and make it an appOintive posi-
ton, the county surveyor or engineer to
be selected by the BOARD of county com
missioners. Each town will have a road
nperintendent.
One of the most important changes
asked is that the statute labor tax =
abolished and the state require all road
taxes to be paid in money This system,
it is believed, will prove far more salts
factory than the present system and
will enable the county boards to keep
the roads in better shape.
The fourth amendment, if approved by
the legislature, Will virtually give the
state highway commission full control
Of the state road work. Upon petition by
the county commissioners the constrlu-
tion, designation and repair of all state
roads will be under the control of the
highway commission. Thus every county
will be compelled to keep its. roads in
good repair, and if they fail the state
will step in, fix up the roads and then
tax each county its share of the eX-
pense.
The recommendations of the legisla-
tive committee, consisting of Ole Peter
son of Nicolet county, G. M. Palmer o.
Blue Earth county and L. A. Watkins
of Carlton county, follow:
'First. To provide for the appoints
ment, by the county boards, of a super
intendent of highways for each county
who may be county surveyor or some
other qualfIned engineer, and that he be
paid salary to be fixed by the board,
whose duties shall be to provide pl ans
and specifications for and superintend
the construction of all county road and
bridge work and to supervise also the
work OF town superintendent of high
ways, and such other duties as may be
required of him by the board
Second. To provide for the appoint
ment by town boards of one superin-
tendent of highways for each town, un
der a salary to be fixed by the town
board whose duties shall be to supervise
the expenditure of all road and bridge
funds under the direction of the town
boards.
"Third. To abolish the statute labor
tax and to pay all road taxes in cash.
Fourth. After petition by the county
commissioners, the construction, designa-
ton and repair of all state roads shall
b. under the control of the state high.
way commission"