Willmar tribune., 1909-07-14

Cooke or the twin city corporation
papers. But because the iegisla-
ture did the wise thing. and saw fit
to distribute this appropriation
among the different counties Of the
state, to be expended under the di-
rection Of the various county COM
missioners, except as to the first in
stallment, where the members
decided upon a division,
which division was made as a rule
through application from the
different localities of their district,
and personal knowledge they had
of the needs Of those certain locali-
ties. l do not believe, as has been
intimated, that this appropriation
was made or supported by the men,
bers of the legislature for poll tical
effect, for had they passed upon all
the applications held by the men,
bers from their districts and there
were very few members who did
not carry from one to half a dozen
applications for aid in building
bridges and the construction of cer-
tain described highways with them
when they answered to the first roll
call, the sum total covering these
applications would have reached a
very large sum indeed. And Mr..
Editor, would the passing upon
these applications by the members
be for political effect, or would
they be doing their duty to their
constituents and needing their
wishes and demands? Such insinu-
ations are debasing, and an injus-
tice to the members that supported
the measure upon it's merits. All
members. Mr.. Editor, are not dis
honest, neither are all members of
the legislature corrupt. We are
proud to know that there sat with
in the walls of the legislative cham
ber men who possessed the highest
type of manhood and character,
honesty of purpose. and would un-
der no conditions have supported a
measure so wrong in principle or
vicious in application as the Lu-
verne Herald would make US be-
lieve.
As to the merits of the appropri-
alton, we find that the state could
make no better investment. Good
roads is a better advertisement in
as rich and fertile a state as Mime
sofa is, and will do more toward
raising values, building homes and
drawing settlers to our state than
any immigration bureau could &C.
complish in hundred years. We
have now thousands repaired dur
ing each year requiring enormous
sums of money, labor and time con-
ditions being such, was it not by
far the wiser plan to turn this ap-
preparation by just division over
to the county commissioners, they
in turn dividing it among the vari-
GUS townships to be expanded un-
der their instructions and supervi-
sion, for certainly the Co. Commits
sioners and the Township supervis-
ors and the road overseers. have a
better knowledge as to the condi-
tions and the needs of the roads
and bridges, within their jurisdic-
tion, than the state highway COM
missioners possibly can have, and
are far more interested in seeing
their immediate locality bettered
as to conditions of roads, than these
same salary dependent gentlemen
are for they are as rule large pro-
perty owners, they are men who
have the confidence Of the people
back of them, they pay taxes and
generally more than the average
citizen and being in this position
they are vitality interested in the
welfare of their community and
the question of roads and bridges
becomes quite a serious question
with them. Having the knowledge,
the experience and the confidence
of the people, is it not the safer
plan to turn an appropriation of
this kind over to them, who will
guard the peoples money against
the graft of professional contrac-
tors, and expend the money where
most needed and where best results
can be obtained. Six hundred
thousand dollars expended in two
years seems a large sum at first
thought; yet when divided among
the various counties and distribut.
ed in all sections of the state will
by no means complete the construc.
tions Of roads and bridges. neither
will it bankrupt the tax payer.
But we do believe that it will be OF
far greater benefit and a more last
ing credit to the state than the
granting of large sums of money to
every session of the legislature for
the identifying of the city of St.
Paul, hidden under the guise of capi.
tol approach expenditure. The
same tax payer must hew to the
lines in these expenditures also. but
we hear no cry of unconstitutional.
ity as far as these internal improve.
ments are concerned. Our worthy
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