The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-03-06
Gustav schoIIe Addresses Big
Number of Delegates.
J. N. Christgan Tells of Work
Done on Cash Basis.
Others Offer Suggestions Along
The Line of Highways.

OF. Il dul. Itb. -J.--EtJ the
meeting of the Minnesota Good Roads
association, Gustav Scholle, president
of the state highway commission,
made an urgent plea for the passage
OF the prosposed amendment to the
state constitution, placing the matter
of raising state taxes for the inn
provement of roads in the state en-
tirely in the hands of the legislature
without restriction.
More than 800 were present at the
meeting. They came from all parts
of the state. and consisted largely of
county commissioners and road super
intendents. Mr.. Scholle's remarks
seemed to make the impression that
he desired, as the general applause so
indicated.
Mr. Scholle said the state highway
commission had not been able to do
what it should have done for the cause
of good roads throughout the state.
The state highway commission was
not only handicapped from want of
funds. but it had this additional trou-
bic that the counties themselves were
obliged to spend twice the sum that
the state spent on each improvement.
Whenever the state highway commits
sion proposed improving road in any
part of the county, the commission
ers representing other parts of that
same county would "buck against" it,
and the result was that county COM
missioners in all parts of the state
were continually at ''loggerheads."
The proposed amendment did away
with all this. The legislature, ac-
cording to its wording, was given
simply the power to levy taxes for the
ROAD and bridge fund and to provide
bow that moncy should be e expended
1hmis obviates the necessity of the
county putting up any money unless
the county wishes to do so.
What Should Be Done.
"Let the state put up the money to
build the state roads and the county
put up the money to build the county
roads, said Mr.. Scholle.
At present the constitution provides
for the levy of a tax of not to exceed
fourth of mill for road and
bridge purposes, but makes the expen-
ditures of the money conditional on
the counties themselves putting up
twice the same amount of money.
George w. Cooley. state engineer,
who has long been recognized as one
of the states pioneers i'm the cause of
l. .,u.. H.
vention on the duties of the county
superintendent of highways, and laid
emphasis on the Importance of that
office when its functions We're per-
formed as they should be.
John NJ. Christgan spoke of the old
problem of the abolition of the labor
tax for roads. He said Mower coun-
ty had tried the system of having
all the road taxes paid in money and
no poll tax in labor, but here the diff
ficulty of the scarcity of labor had
been encountered last year. He thought
the proper solution was to include a
spirit of fairness among the people,
and cultivate general sentiment of
the dishonesty of anybody striking his
road tax when it was to be paid in
labor.
Highway Bridge Engineer.
James B. Gilman of Minneapolis in
a discussion of the construction of
bridges. laid strong emphasis on the
point that there should be state
highway bridge engineer to supervise
the building of bridges in all parts of
the state.
C.. A. p. Turner of Minneapolis. in
a paper on the proper materials for
good concrete culverts and short
bridges, strongly advocated the use of
coarse sand, as that would bring the
best results. He said the best mix
ture. in his judgment, consisted of one
part of cement, two of sand and four
of rock.
Others who spoke were H. V. Poor,
Bird Island; James Collopy, Lake
Elmo: J. L. Elwell, Minneapolis; ID.
w. Illsley, Rice county, and r. w.
Hall, Rochester
\. Y. Taylor of Litchfield, was
elected presiding officer, and j. b.
Connolly of Chaska secretary.