The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-13
The New Highway Commission.

The good roads case has at last an
official footing in Minnesota The cam:
paign of education in road-making will
be conducted hereafter under the au.
thority of the state highway commits
sion, which organized yesterday. The
first act Of the commission was promise
OF successful future, as no better man
could have been secured for state en-
gineer and secretary than George W.
Cooley. He is not only practical en-
gineer and road-builder, but an enthu-
slast who will leave no means unused
to educate and win the support of the
people. >..,--.~ -, -.
During 1906 the commission will have
no funds but. the $4,000 appropriated
for salaries and expenses. No state
roads will be built this year, but it will
be Il year of work and progress. The
commission will get full information as
to present road systems, and will locate
road-making material Of every kind.
By next year it will have made rules
and regulations for building roads in
different parts Of the state, according
to. conditions. of the soil and the road
material available. During the year
road meetings will be held in all parts
of the state by the commissioners and
Secretary Cooley. A year from next
March, if the legislature leaves the: law
alone, the 'commission will have 100000
to $4,000 to apportion to the counties
for read and bridge work. Every coun-
ty must share in this distribution, get
ting, from onehalf of l per cent up to 3
per cent, according to needs. This
money will not be paid out, however.
until the roads or bridges are, built.
State roads will be designated in. each
county by the commissioners, and built
by CONTRACT or day labor, in accordance
with the rules Of the highway commits
sion. When the roads have been built
and approved, the. cost will be certified
to the state commission, which will pay
not to exceed one:third of the total cost.
If the: counties take up the work as
they are expected to, next year will see
an expenditure Of 100000, of which
at least two-thirds must be on scientific
roads. This will not build many miles
Of road, but the road built will be. an
object lesson" in every county of the
state, and will lead the local authorities
to adopt more permanent methods If
the pending amendment to the consti-
tuition, is passed, the direct levy for road
purposes may be increased five times
giving a quarter Of a million a year for
state work on roads, D.! .. ..:.,.,-. d. -
The state highway commission has a
small beginning, but it is starting right
and if pursued in the right policy its
work will be one of the greatest things
ever undertaken for the material pros.
perity Of the state. Every farmer pays
a big toll to poor roads. Vast sections
in the northern part of. the, state are
held back from development by the lack
of highways. State aid is needed in
= those sections, and the example of we'll
built state roads is needed everywhere
It is now before the supreme court OF
the. state of New York to determine
whether a man may refuse to answer
questions necessary to the enlightenment
of Attorney General Hadley, Commission
er Sanborn and the state of Missouri as
to the relations of the oil companies do
ing business in that state. And it will
determine on what grounds the refusals
must be put, if permitted at all. After
the action of the supreme court in the
8 Rogers case, observers will have better
understanding as to the probable outcome
of this extraordinary action. If the
Standard Oil company is finally shown tc
be acting contrary to the antitrust Law
Of Missouri. it may be barred from the