The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-02-04

Sll q
garden. Recently -four lines have
been racing across the state appar-
emily all bound for the Pacific-the
political and commercial storm con-
ter of the world. klght under our
eyes a continent is being transformed.
All this being done over the route
where Lewis and Clark SO slowly
toiled a century go, and yet our
highways are little better and in
many cases not so good as then.
In road building we have not kept
pace with u civilization and de-
velopment. We are too busy dis
cussing the ethical question of
whether we should return $22,OO0.00
to North Carolina II if so, whether
a two thirds vote is necessary, or
simply a majority; or if the primary
law be amended it will give one fac
ton advantage over the other, or
determining the momentous ques-
lions as to the proper length of a
bed sheet.
There IS no use mincing matters.
We might as we'll talk plainly and
while doing so look ourselves in the
face.
The Farmers in time of peace,
tumbled owe each other in voting
s7O,000.00 for the state militia and
defeated a bill providing for farm
ers Institutes costing 100000 and
finally when driven to its passage, cut
the appropriation down to $4,000. 90.
They voted s50,OOO.OO for a law
school building and voted down $10.-
10000 for two years appropriation
to eradicate and keep out infectious
live stock diseases: they defeat a
good roads law and vote %appropria-
lions, many of them useless. put
ting the state in debt 100000. 90.
These comparisons could be extend
ed, but | will not take your time
Herewith. But just let me show
the attitude of the legislator farmer
to the s~o-called good roads bill of
two years ago.
In order to meet with more ia
vor with the tiller of the soil and
the stockman it was made optional
as to whether it be adopted by a
county or not. No county had TIC
have it if they did not want it. YET
it vent down to defeat by farmer
vote. There We're "A votes for the
bill, Sc against, 8 absent. Forty
five votes We're necessary to pass it
thus lacked n vote only of pass
ing. OF the SO votes against the bill
81 We're farmers. The three farm
er votes for the county east of mine
and one from the county south said
we don't want it and you fellows in
Moody and Grant and Lawrence and
Edmunds that do want it shan't have
it.
No one took the floor in opposition
to the bill. 1t was recognized by
the leading road experts as a model
and containing the better features
of the laws of the most progressive
road building states. All the oppon-
ents said of it was hat it was i'm
the interests of the automobile and
ahead of it's time.
Its main features, and they are
more in favor to-day than when
voted down, We're:
1. Payment of all road taxes in
cash.
2. Expenditure of all money UNI
der contract except in case of emer-
gency caused by food or otherwise.
3. The county the unit, doing
away with districts and road bosses.
4. A county engineer who should
be a road expert to have supervision
of all road work under the county
-.
5. A survey and profile to be
made by him of the highways. all
roads to be named and bridges to
be numbered.
6. First, the construction and inn
provement of roads into each of the
market places of the county. then
connecting the towns and later the
construction of l%aterals.
Snaci1l tayation of lap1 oI,,+
ting on a highway for building road
thereon when voted by two thirds
of the land owners.
Meritorious as was this bill ] be-
lieve there should be added to it
the state aid feature. | believe now,
as l believed then, that all the prop
erty in the state should be taxed
for improvements of such public
character as roads. III fact, ! believe
the cost of improving and maintain
ing our highways should he born
by three parties in nearly equal pro-
portion. The United States. the
state and the county.
The United States uses our high
ways for mail delivery. The con-
%stltution grants it authority to build
post roads. Government experts say
that good roads would save $7,OO0,-
100000 per yea on rural route con-
tracts.
Roads are public property and
think it equity and good business
to tax all property in the state to
help build and maintain them.
The unbroken record in twenty
states that have adopted state aid is
that the law has been bitterly op-
posed until understood and then has
become uniformly popular. People
naturally object to heavy road
taxes when results are so u%nsatis-
factory. 1--WE get tired of pouring
water into a rat hole unless we get
the rat"
By state aid We mean that the
state pay II third or one half or
some other part of the cost of a good
road when the local authorities de-
eide to build. The Farmers Good
Roads League says. Some contend