The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-06-07
Department Described Min
nesOta Highways.
WHATS BEEN DONE OF LATE
National Agricultural Bureau Has
Been Investigating the COndi-
tons i'm This State.
From Wednesdays Daily.

From Wednesdays Daily.
That circular just issued by the pub
lie roads office of the department OF
agriculture of the United States shows
that i'll 1904 there were 1924 miles
of public road in Minnesota and that
of this mileage CLIO miles were sur,
faced with gravel 67R miles with
stone. and one mile with brick. making
IL total of 6,247R miles of improved
road. From these figures it is comput'
ed that in 1904 IS per cent of the roads
had been improved.
Comparing the total road mileage
with the area of the state it was shown
that there was about one mile of public
road per square mile of area. a COM
parison of the mileage with the popu-
lation in 1904 showed one mile of road
to every twenty-five inhabitants, and
one mile of improved road to every 2SO
inhabitants.
st. Louis county. in this circular, Is
credited with $40 miles of public road III
1904. with 80 miles surfaced with
gravel obtained from the roadside, or
with lean iron ore. For the year men
toned the county and town eXpendl-
lures OH the roads. from the property
taxes were S55.3lS.92. and the road i'm
provement bonds issued for the ten
wears preceding 1904 totalIed Sl3000O.
While it is very doubtful whether the
figures stated concerning the mileage of
public roads, or the amount gravelled.
are anywhere near accurate. the leatlet
issued by the department contains
much interesting information to those
who have been participating in any
way in tile good roads movement in
Minnesota.
To provide Il source of revenue for
its roads. the supervisors of the various
towns are authorized to levy road
tax upon all real and personal property
of not to exceed 81 on each 500 of
taxable valuation. This tax may be
computed in labor at the rate of $l.5O
per day. In counties having pOpula-
ton of 10000 or mOres like Henne-
pin and Ramsey counties, all road taxes
must be paid i'll cash. Road taxes may
be paid i'll cash in any town if agreed
to by majority vote at the annual
town election.
In some counties of the state every
male inhabitant over twenty one and
under fifty years of age, unless by law
exempt. is required to perform not less
than five days labor each year on the
public roads, or pay $50 for each day
he may be required to perform road
duty. This tax does not seem to be as
sesscd III some counties, st. Louis coun-
ty included, or in many of the towns
which is said to be due to the fact
that the counties and towns have by a
majority vote decided to pay all road
taxes i'll cash.
Bonds may be issued by the towns fol-
road purposes which must not exceed
together with the outstanding indebted
ness of the town. ) per cent of the as
sessed valuation thereof. These bonds
must be paid in not to exceed ten an
nual installments, and may bear inter
est at the rate of 6 per cent.
The county commissioners are
authorized to provide a fund for the
construction, maintenance and repairs
of county roads and bridges, to be
known as "the general road and bridge
fund.-" and to be expended upon such
roads and bridges as the commission
ers may determine. Not more than $500
may be appropriated per annum from
this fund for any one town road OF
bridge in any township. The county
commissioners are authorized to in
cIude in the regular tax levy of a coun
ty Il tax not to exceed | mill on the dol
lar on all taxable valuation in the cOun
ty for the benefit of the road and bridge
fund, in addition to the amounts levied
for other county purposes. The levy
may be increased to 2 mills, provided
the taxable valuation in a county is les:
than Sl,000,000
In 1904 the county board of st. Louis
county levied $4,000 for. road purposes
In 1905 the board levied 100000, anC
last year increased the levy to $4,000
providing $4,000 more to be expended
on county roads this year than in 1904