The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1909-02-12

caused by food or otherwise.
3. The county the unit, doug 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
commissioners.
5. A survey and profile to be made
by him of the highways all roads to
be named and bridges to be num-
bered.
6. First the construction and i'm
provement of roads into each of the
market places of the county, then con-
Meeting the towns and later the con-
struction of laterals.
Z. Special taxation of land abutting
on a highway for building road there
on when voted by two-thirds of the
land owners.
Meritorious as was this bill I be-
lieve there should be added to it the
state aid feature. l believe now as I
believed then that all the property in
the state should be taxed for improve
ments of such public character as
roads. In fact, I believe the cost Of
improving and maintaining our high
ways should be borne by three par
ties in nearly equal proportion, the
United States, the state, the county.
The United States uses our high
w-ys for mail delivery. The constltu-
ton grants it authority to build post
roads. Government experts say that
good roads would save 81, 900 900 per
year on rural route contracts.
Roads are public property. and I
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 on
posed until understood n then has
become uniformly popular. People
naturally object to heavy road taxes
wren results are so unsatisfactory,
We get tired of pouring water into
a rat hole unless we get the rat"
By state aid we mean that the state
Fay one-thlrd or one-half or some 9TH
er part of the cost of a gocod road
when the local authorities decide to
build.
| am Eere to say that we can have
as good roads in South Dakota at one
fourth tie cost in any of the above
mentioned states. Furthermore, we
are financially better able to stand the
exr eree.
Events come RAJ idly now days. and
with puhlic sent ment CRYSTALLINE on
state and national aid for our hioh-
ways the outlook is most promising
Now for g word or two about the
construction Of roads:
In order to demonstrate what could
be done with an e%levatine grader on
country roads, | last year bought a
Stroud Little Giant grader and hitch
ed 1t TO a % horse power gasoline
engine. This was reasonably
successful. With it we made ahont
three miles of splendid grade. Paw
ment for all help and $40 per day for
engine, with gasoline at Is cents per
gallon 1t cost three to three and ma
nall cents per yard to move the dirt.
Inc engine was the second of it's
II to be made. and l was not salts
ned win the power. wanted TO see
the dirt move faster and cheaner so
a SO horse power steam trac-
ton engine with fuel and attendants
at $50 per day. I furnished a man
TO run the grader or managed il nv
self. In ordinary ground free from /,
stones and no too damp, | kent the !
ploW in 8 to IL inches, thus MOVING
a yard Of dirt every 80 feet. Not TAX.
ing this estimate but the grade when
nnlshed, accurately measured. we
found tina the dirt was moyed a dis. i,
of 20 feet to an even grade u
% 20 feet wide at an expense of -
% "a cents per yard.
Physical conditions and average
are such that we will never
pproach success in road building IN.
Ter our existing system. We have all
diagnosed the disease and agree that
he case is desperate. None but she.
'lallsts are competent to prescribe
eAIcules. we must cut loose from
ne Old traditions and let advanced
have a free hand.
l am thoroughly Of the belief that
N entire change Of system of super.
'ision is advisable.
Should no speedy relief come from
~law-making bodies what can Won
nd l-private %citizensdo to improve
ur highways. Briefly:
Use nothing but wide tire wa ons
and discourage the sale Of
ny other.
Remove all stones from he road
djacent to your land.
When I say remove don't mean
OIL to n side; for next wear the
Dad may not be in the old track. hut
n the side. When dug, haul them
Ut OF n sixty-six feet Of highway or
ne them around the telephone pole
II you know more about road work
han the boss, and it's ten to ono Won