The Princeton union., 1910-02-10

All over the state the proposition t
amend the state constitution to pre-
vide for general one mill state ta
for road purposes is gaining convert
daily. Even the conservative ST
Paul Pioneer Press thinks we'll of tn
scheme as witness the following edi
torial from it's issue of the 7th inst:
A STATEWIDE GOOD ROADS PROGRAM
4. G. Dunn is enthusiastically ad
vocating a special session of the legis
lature to submit a constitutions
amendment to provide for a 1-mil
road tax. While there may be those
who will not agree with him on the
=advisability of calling the legislature
together to pass on the question al
this time, there is little room for any
disagreement concerning the de.
sirability of improving the highways
of the state. The good: roads work
should be taken up without unneces.
sary delay and pushed vigorously.
The l-mill tax suggested by Mr..
Dunn would raise 100000 year.
That is a lot of money, and unless
disbursed under proper restrictions
might lead to wastefulness and worse.
Mr.. Dunn proposes that the entire
fund should be expended by the state
highway commission and that the
present requirement that the county
shall spend twice as much as the state
be removed. He has the right idea,
but there probably would be some
difficulty in carrying it out. There
would be bound to be more or less
dissatisfaction.
If all in the state we're to be taxed
all would want good roads. at once.
Those who might not get improve
ments at the outset would be sure to
complain and, unless the highway
commissioners we're deaf, dumb and
blind, might get little of the appro-
priation to appease them, not enough
to do either them or the state much
good. What would be needed would
be commission of experts to figure
out what should be done, and then go
ahead and do it. Such commission
with 100000 a year at it's disposal
soon would put Minnesota in the
front rank in the matter of good
roads. And every dollar invested in
improved highways would be worth
100 cents as state asset.
It is unnecessary to go into de-
tails at the present time. All the
state could not get good roads at
once. 1t is safe to assume, however,
that if general 1-mill state road
tax was provided for every county in
the state would have on an average
200 miles of frst-class roads within
the next decade. How to distribute
the fund satisfactorily is easily dis
posed of. Simply insert in the pro-
posed new amendment the present pro-
viso in section 16, article 9 of the
constitutions: "That no county shall
receive in any year more than three
per cent or less than one-half of one
per cent of the total fund thus pro-
vided and expended during such
year, Such a proviso would be a
sufficient safeguard. If necessary
supplemental legislation, within the
lines laid down, could be enacted bv
the legislature.
What valid objection can there be
to convening the legislature in ex-
traordinary session to enact an
amendment providing for 1-mill
tax? Expense. The expense would
be mere bagatelle- not exceed
$4,000. The salaries of the members
have already been paid. The mileage
of the members in the 1907 session
amounted to $5,799.O0; the few
officers, clerks and Incidental expenses
certainly would not foot up to exceed
$4,000.
But some apprehensive Individual
will exclaim: eff the legislature is
convened in extraordinary session
there will be no end to the legislation
enacted or attempted to be enacted. +"
Pshaw! The legislature is not going
to remain in session any longer than
is actually necessary, especially when
no per diem is forthcoming. Besides,
the governor could politely but firmly
inform the Legislators that he con-
vened them in extraordinary session
for one specific purpose-to consider
good roads amendments to +bo oo,