The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-06-24
From ErldaY's Daily

From Fridays Daily
The town supervisors and road mas
tiers enjoyed their ride in automobiles
Yesterday afternoon as well as they
did the dinner rendered them by the
Automobile club and they were given
an opportunity to see what some of
the farmers have accomplished in the
way of having good roads. They were
taken out on the poor farm road and
back on the Mapleton road, and went
over splendid graveled roads, as smooth
as pavement, and well drained. 1t
showed what can be done by graveling,
draining and the use of the drag.
The meeting yesterday will no doubt
result in great good being accomplished
in the way of improving the roads in
this vicinity. An object lesson is worth
more than a lot of talk, and the good
feeling engendered is worth whole
lot.
Mr.. Currier, concluding his remarks,
said:
food roads improve farm values,
makes country life better worth living,
and adds to the appearance of the coun-
try. Road improvement would go on
faster than even in the past five years.
In ten years two-thirds of the farm
ers will own automobiles. The next
Legislature ought to pass law re-
quiring at least two farmers in each
road district to buy automobiles. If
two were owned in each district there
would be something doing in the road
line.
County Commissioner Madigan was
called on, but asked to be excused.
County Commissioner Schultz was
called on and suggested that the auto
club arrange to procure laws in force
in other states There are uniform laws
in Minnesota, but they are not ad
ministered alike in the different coun-
ties The best from different states
laws might be picked out, and at
future meeting law might be framed
up right here. We must 90 to the
bottom and work up. There is much
to contend with, but by selecting what
will tit our case the best something
can be accomplished. State aid is need
ed. but without a constitutional amend
ment this cannot be done, A state
highway commission could distribute
the funds to the counties, and the
county commissioners could distribute
the money in the counties, and the
town boards i'm the towns.
President Hohmann said that the
near future
County Commissioner Hanson said
that if the bridges and heavy work
in the county could be taken care of,
all of the roads in the county could
be graveled.
Commissioner Madipan said that his
idea was to make the roads wide
enough so that team. and autos could
pass each other, and not SO high but
that teams could drive off. The bitches
should be at the sides of the road.
Commissioner Hanson said that drain
age was the principal thing.
Sever Peterson of Rapidan said that
he had worked his road well for years
and all that he got was hell" Unless
the people ccoperated it was very hard
to do anything. The pillow should be
kept out of the road, if good road
was to be made.
President Hohmann said that what
had been accomplished was fully APP
precated, and if they would keep on
for five years more a great deal more
would be done. Much good would
come from the meeting, and he hoped
that after this it would be a regu-
lar yearly occurrence.
j. E. Jefferson thanked the club for
the Belgrade delegates.
The auto club then took the guests
for an auto ride out on the poor farm
road and back on the Pohl road and
then to the park.
"On behalf of the Mankato Automo
bile club, | am very glad that you have
accepted our invitation to break bread"
with us and talk over matters of mu
tual interest. You are all interested
in the question of good roads, which
Is in my opinion of paramount import
ance TO every man in this room. Com
ing together in this capacity, naturally
reminds me of other meetings of the
kind that lave been held in our city.
The first good roads meeting in
Mankato was called by the Mankato
Bicycle club years ago. | am very glad
that YOU are not as suspicious of US
now as were the men who attended
that meeting. 1t was so new and so
strange, that men from town should
be interested in, or talk of good roads
that the farmers who attended could
scarcely get away from the idea that
there was some motive which they
could not fathom, but which they felt
sure was opposed to their interests.
The meeting broke up in row. and
OF course, nothing was accomplished.
Acceptance Speaks Volumes.
That you men have accepted the in
vitation of the Automobile club speaks
volumes for the. mutual interest in
good roads. 1t is not long since nearly
every man who lived in the country
was opposed to automobiles. A little
incident that happened under my own
experience shows about what the feel
ing was. A prominent German farmer
met an automobile one day and had