The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1906-04-19
GOOD ROADS MEETING
Representative Farmers, Business lien
and Land Owners Listen to
Addresses at rlilaea.
State Engineer Cooley Delivers In
structive Speech on Road Build
ing and Improvement.

by a large and interested audience of
representative farmers, business men
and landowners of Milaca and vicin-
ity.
The meeting was addressed by State
Engineer Cooley, Prof. Nelson of the
State School of Agriculture, J. B.
Galarneault of the State Highway com
mission, and G. A. Dickey of Prince
ton.
Mr.. Dickey spoke briefly on the
need of changes in the present high
way laws of the state, pointing out
the impossibility of united and con-
certed action in building and main
tanning a road of any considerable
length under the present local system
of road building.
Prof Nelson in an entertaining
and instructive manner told Of the
necessity of educating the youth of
the state in highway construction and
Of the work that is being done along
this line at the state school.
Mr.. Galarneault explained the law of
1905 creating the State Highway COM
mission, and told of what had al
ready been done by the commission.
The most important and instructive
address of the evening was made by
State Engineer Cooley, who is the
secretary of the commission and a
civil engineer, and has for forty
years been engaged in constructing
and experimenting roads in Hennepin
county. Engineer Cooley is one of
the very few competent road builders
in the United States. His address
was logical, instructive and full of
facts that all road builders should
know. Mr.. Cooley explained that the
highway commission had under it's
control about $4,000 for distributing
among the counties of the state. This
fund is raised by a tax of one-twen-
tieth of one per cent on the taxable
property. Thus, if a farmer has 100
acres and is taxed at a valuation OF
SIS per acre his property is assessed
on valuation of $500. One-twentieth
of one per cent on this makes his tax
to the state 40 cents per year. By
this system the commission had last
year $4,000 to expend. No county
can receive of this sum more than
three per cent, which would make the
maximum amount that could be re-
ceived by any one county $1,000. To
be entitled to this maximum amount
of state aid the county commission
ers of the county must expend twice
as much on roads in the county.
That is, the state can only give one
third as much as the county expends,
Mr.. Cooley advised the voters to
vote to increase the tax to one-fourth
of one per cent, which would give the
commission about 100000. Then he
said: "We can do something toward
helping the Countess He reviewed
the history of highway building from
the times of the Roman empire, 1900
years ago, till the present time. He
compared the roads of continental
Europe, especially France, with those
of the United States. He read state
ments from United States consuls in
France that 100 per cent, or all of the
roads in the country, are good.
Also that 80 per cent of the roads in
the United States are bad or indiffer-
ent. He showed that the roads of
France are under government control,
while the roads of the United States
are under the control of small local
boards which have neither the money
nor the experience necessary to con-
struct and maintain satisfactory
roads. He showed how good roads
have made all real estate in France
valuable and have added in the
national wealth and comfort. He ad-
vocated not only state, but also fed
eral aid, claiming that the govern
ment should help, as it needs the
roads for rural mail routes. He told
how to get and maintain lasting sur
faces for highways using the material
at hand. He cautioned road over
seers against putting clay on top of
sand to make a roadway. The sand
must always be put on top of the CLAW
to get good results. He told how to
analyze gravel that it is proposed to
use in construction of roads, explain
ing how cheaply and easily it can be
done. Good road gravel must con
tain pebbles, clay, iron and lime.
The iron can be discovered by COM
mon horse shoe magnet, the clay by
repeated washing in common tum-
bier, and the lime by the use of acids.
Fifty cents will buy all the necessary