The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-12-01
STATE NEEDS A
GOOD ROADS BILL
PROBABLE THAT ONE WILL BE
INTRODUCED AT THE COMING
SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE
DEAN BRUCE VILE PRoRAR.
LY SUBMIT DRAFT.

Grand Forks Times: A good roads
measure will in all probability be in
troduced at the coming session OF the
North Dakota legislature. Probably
Dean Bruce of the law school of the
university will draft the measure, and
If he does, there will be little need of
modification or change by the law
making body. Dean Bruce has the
happy faculty of being a university
man with practical ideas. He has given
much thought to the problem Of good
roads and the bill which he will pre-
pare will be an epitome OF his re-
search.
The legislature will not measure UP
to its opportunities if it does not pass
a good roads law. Other states alive
to their interests are doing SO, and
great national organization was
perfected in Washington last week to
coordinate all the good roads activi-
ties into one plan. North Dakota
needs good roads more than almost
any other state in the union. Atten-
ton given to such public improve
ments will find more ready approval
than playing politics and trifiing away
the session in discussing political isms
There may be diversity of opinion
as to the details of a good roads law
but there can be no difference as to
ends to be accomplished. The Times
has for years sought to give the pub
lie, through both its news and edi-
torial columns, full information on the
methods of building and maintaining
good roads; on the difference in cost
per ton mile of hauling over good and
bad roads; on the actual money saving
to the farmer and the advantages to
the city and village business men of
having such roads, and on the need Of
building such roads at an early date
in North Dakota Upon these points
there is no diversity of opinion. The
question is how.
It is probably not advisable to plan
for good roads law that would mean
heavier taxation, for the people
need reduction rather than increase in
this particular. But a heavy tax is
already paid for the building and sup
port of roads-either In cash or labor.
and labor is really cash. The same
burden If properly utilized could be
made to pay for the construction and
LiidAuICAdhCG VI TOdQB Tar DSLLeT IMAM
those now in existence. Why, then,
should not the people of the state get
the better result for the same money :?
The method by which this result can
be accomplished will be worked out
in the good roads bill to be prepared
by Dean Bruce.
The farmer knows that in a state
In which SO much of the farm pro-
ducts must be hauled to market, the
cost in team labor is a material item
of expense and cuts deep into the
farm profit at the end of the year. He
knows, too, that he can haul no larg-
er Load to market than he can haul
over the worst portion OF the road,
and so the worst road Is the farm
loss criterion. The good roads bill
will provide for extended rather than
segregated sections of standard road
so that the cost of farm haulage will
be that of the best instead OF the worst
parts of the road
1t would be advisable for farmers
and business men to impress on their
representatives in the legislature the
supreme importance of the good roads
measure and insist that 1t be given
attention and be passed.