New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1907-01-02
l6O0D ROADS LEGISLATION
Ole .Jorgenson Discusses Question
From Farmers Standpoint.
Takes Position that Farmers
Rights Are Being Invaded.
Manufacturers and Wheelmen
Should Not be Given
Free Rope.

following communication from County
Commissioner Ole Jorgenson, and
while it is not prepared to endorse
everything contained therein Unwilling
ly gives it publication:
The Review of Dec. 18th contained
brief account of the annual meeting
of the Good Roads Association in St.
Paul. 1t appears from this report that
the most important reforms the asso-
citation would have incorporated in the
laws of the state are the following:
estate highway commissioners with
salaries and certain arbitrary powers.
"Acounty engineer, with a salary, as
county superintendent of roads.
"a township superintendent ads
with salary.
''Thecontrol and managementof road
building in this state to be in the hands
of these officials, while the people have
nothing to do but pay the salaries.
s'Thestate commissl to be vested
with power to tax the counties to carry
out their mandates if necessary.
1t seems to be about time for the
legislature Of this state to be on it's
guard against these self-appointed re-
form associations of all kinds and de-
scriptions. A large part of the down
right vicious legislation we have been
cursed with for years has been the
direct result of agitation OF this char
acter. And in most cases farmers have
been the victims, losing gradually all
control of matters which most vitality
concern them. If the enactment into
law of schemes like the drainage law
of 1905, the primary election law and
the measure suggested at the outset of
this article is to continue there will be
little incentive for the farmer to inter-
est himself in things governmental.
Time was when laws were founded on
certain equitable, fundamental prin
cipies, and one of these principles was
self-government for every community
in local affairs. Now we have special
interests covered up with certain plau-
sible pretentions of needed reform. In
this good roads movement, it is plain
to see who are behind 1.-THE wheelmen
and the manufacturers of vehicles and
road machinery. The large cities are
the Matching place of the scheme.
Manufacturers and wheelmen have
right which must be taken into con-
sideration the same as those of other
people, but there is a proper limit to
everything. For example it is not
proper to load down the people with
taxes when you deprive them Of the
rights to manage their own local af-
fairs. To tax them for the benefit of
corporations rself-appointed associa-
tions is not square deal.
Before the introduction of railroads
as public carriers conditions were
different. Then wagon roads had to
be depended on for all transportation
Today all commercial aud passenger
traffic between cities is by rail. If
anything is to be shipped to or from
any point beyond our nearest market
place, it goes to the railroads. Con-
sequently the good roads question has
been reduced to local affair All that
the people now need IS goods roads
to their respective market places and
for other local travel.
Why then should not the highways
be left to the care of the county CON-
missioners and town supervisors just
as they are under the present law?
And why should not state aid be
limited to bridge construction and such
other Improvement as is shown te be
too expensive for the local community?
Our old highway laws don't seem to
be SO very bad after all. They may
not be perfect, but they are founded on
sound, equitable principles of self.
government. They permit of no poll
teal healers, appointed to serve as
taskmasters
Good roads are worth having.
Everybody favors them. But time
and money are required to build then
and we cannot be expected to to do in
year or two what it has taken other
countries centuries to bring about.
The co nditions prevailing in South
ern Minnesota during the last few
years have made it absolutely impos
sible to keep the roads in anything
like desirable condition, and i
wouldn't have helped any to have al
kinds of commissioners and superin
tendents with fine annual salaries.
Drainage has been started on an ex
tensive scale in Brown county
and wherever weather condition:
permit good roads Improvement vii
be inaugurated, net because WI
have good roads association but be
cause a good road is a good thing ant
a necessity.
Remember this. 1t is not safe Il
| take the administration of local affair