The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-02-26
LOGAN WALTER PAGE TO ADDRESS
MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE.
He Is the Highway Expert Connected
With the Department of Agri-
:. culture; Sent to Minnesota at
the Solicitation of Louis W. Hill
of State Commission.
Especial to The Free Press.1

p3fIlnenu OF agriculture, VIII duuIcSS
the Minnesota legislature on various
phases of road improvement Thursday.
Louis w. Hill, chairman of the state
highway commission, and James j..
Hill having made Il specific request
through Secretary Wilson that the ma
tons highway expert journey to st.
Paul to tell the solons the highway
needs OF the Bread and Butter State
and how best TO have those needs gra
titled
In all probability no man now in
America is so amply qualified as is MIR.
Page to point out to the people of this
state the paramount Importance of
perfected highways. He has made high
way construction life study, having
learned his profession from the famous
School of Roads and Bridges Of France
and from the state highway commits
sion of Massachusetts,. For five years
his energies have been devoted to
scientific research in the interests of
the United States; the work of his
office being purely educational.
Need of Education.
There is need OF educating the PEG
pie of this land to road necessities, for
despite the fact that the United States
is the richest country in the world it
laes far behind all other civilized ma
tions in road building and road main
tenance, and as good roads mean ma
tional prosperity, the short sighted
policy of those responsible for Ameri-
cas- country roads is becoming more
and more apparent.
At the present time there are only
about 100000 miles of highways in the
United States which have been in any
degree improved. The total mileage
is approximately 2,l55,OOO miles. 1t
will thus be seen that American road
builders have given their attention to
not more than eight per cent of the
roads; a showing that is truly pit
liable.
England, France and Germany are
gridnoned with broad, hard surfaced,
model highways over which the farmers
of those lands may quickly and cheap
~ transport their products to market
place or transportation points. The
farmers of America are forced to drive
their horses over well-ni9h impossible
roads in the spring and fall or to remain
at home, the result being a loss each
year of not less than S300,000.00 due
solely to shameful roads. Sweden sur
passed the United States in the per-
'centaGe of improved highways, and
even Turkey is on a par.
For a number of years the depart
ment of agriculture has made strong
efforts to impress upon the producers
and consumers the fact that there
exists an intimate relationship between
agriculture and the public roads. This
relationship is of Importance to all, for
the country man does ont, by any
means, bear the entire burden If the
roads are bad and the cost of trans
porting farm products is heavy, the
city man, as well as the country man,
is forced to pay percentage of this
national mud tax-for that the con-
sumner pays the tax is truism which
nobody can deny.
Little England Is Doing Much.
1t may amaze some people who think
that the United States is doing some
thing in road construction to know
that little England is spending more
money each year in road construction
and road maintenance than is the
United States. During the year 1904
about $SO,00O,OOO was spent in this
country. Last year England spent 500,
100000 or Sl0O00,O00 more. Up to that
time, i'll this country, about 33S,GO(
miles had been surfaced with stone
l0S,2OO miles with gravel, 6.S00 miles
with special materials-a total mileage
OF improved highways of IA per cent
Recently engineers Of the department,
| OF Agriculture made an effort to es
innate the improved mileage at th'
end of the year 1908, as well as tn,
cash value of all roads, including
bridges and rights of way. The fig
ures for 1904 were taken as basis
and the estimate made that the maca
dam roads have increased since thel
l2.5 per cent, gravel 10 per cent, AM
special surfacin9 material % per cent
That produces mileage of 1880 o
macadam, l2l,46S of gravel, and S,5l
Iof special material. The cost of ma
cadam has been estimated at 81. 800
mile, gravel 1880, and other surfacin
materials $1,000. There is then lcf
about l,975,OO0 miles of earth road
which it is estimated costs for grading
culverts, bridges, and all other item
of expense an average Of $500 mile
The right of way, placed at 40 feet j
J width for the entire mileage, is wortl
at the average acreage valuation, S342
100000, making a total estimated cos
of $l720.339 900 for the roads of thi
country.
The cost of constructing the wei
nigh perfect system of French higl
ways was approximately $G6O,OOO,OC
and century passed during their builc
ING.
During his remarks at tho Mnnesot
Capitol, Director Page will, in all pr,
a liability, touch in some of the abo,
Al facts and presumably, as he is