The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1909-09-16
PUBLIC HIGHW,4x1YS FIRST.

F
Dunn was called upon for few re-
marks, and among other things be
said that he would like to see the
legislature convened in extraordinary
session-ten days ought to be sufi.
clent-to act upon the proposed
amendment to the federal constitution
relative to an income tax, to reappor.
ton the state fairly on the basis OF
population as contemplated by the
constitution, and to submit an amend
ment to the state constitution-to be
voted upon at the next election
which, if adopted, would enable the
Legislature to levy a general one mill
tax for the improvement of the high
ways of the state. All three PROPOSE
lions seemed to meet with the appro-
baton of the legislators present.
Estimating the total valuation Of
the state for assessment purposes at
81, 200, 100000, one mill tax would
produce a revenue of $1,000. 600
which would give each of the
eighty-tive counties of the state an
average appropriation of over
$4,000 annually. That amount. in
telligently expended, would mean at
least ten miles of permanent road i'm
provement in each county annually
for the state appropriation would be
supplemented by town and county
road taxes. Inside of a decade Min
nesota would have 10000 miles of
frst-class roads. There is nothing
chimerical about this proposition.
It is only fair in this age of auto
mobiles that the city millionaire
should contribute a little of his wealth
in taxes toward the improvement of
country roads and the upbuilding OF
the state. The steel trust alone,
under present valuations, would con-
tribute 100000 annually, or one-sixth
of the amount that a one-mill tax
would produce.
But the Pioneer Press seems to
labor under the delusion-for de-
fusion it is-that an imaginary system
of waterways is the alpha and omega
of state development. We quote from
that paper: ,-s.-.
"But the greatest reason of all-the
desirability of some legislative action
which shall pave the way to the CO.
operation of the state of Minnesota
with the national government in the
development of water transportation
and water-powers-he forgets alto
gether. Yet the carrying out of one
waterway project alone, that of Engi-
neer Mershon, would bring more
benefits to the state than all the
measures mentioned by the so-called
Sage of Princeton -
With all due respect to the editorial
colossus who penned the above there
is no question of more Importance to
the people of this state today-more
especially to the farmers of the state
than that of the permanent improve
ment of the public highways of the
state. There is nothing that would
prove more conducive to the happi-
ness and prosperity of the people of
the state than a system of good per-
manent highways. State improve
ment can be summed up in two words
GOOD ROADS.
The utopian system of waterways
SO glowingly depicted by the Pioneer
Press on numerous occasions is i'm
possible of realization in the near
future. The amount of money that
would be required to build zig gag
canals up and down and across the
state, as advocated by the Pioneer
Press, would pay for the construction
of 100 miles of first class roads in
each OF the IS counties of the state,
and the roads would be of one
hundred times more benefit to the
people of the state than the dinky
little proposed waterways.
It is sheer nonsense to talk of the
national government extending
millions of dollars in internal i'm.
provements in a state that is moi
suffering for lack of transportation
facilities when the great nationa