The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1910-12-16
Good Roads are
Needed All Over
Road Work Should be Done Under a
County Highway Engineer
IN All Counties

Rockford has brought an old fact
to light in new way which is we'll
worth the reading and thought you
give it:
The Devils Lake Inter Ocean
quoted lately few remarks made
by Gen. FL. M. Creel of Devils
Lake on the Good Roads question
calling attention to the way in
which the work on the highways
was generally conducted. 1t ap-
pears that the general chit the
spike on the head.'' Too often we
do the road work when we have
nothing else to do, just because we
must do our road poll tax or our
land road tax to get it out Of the
way. Often a bunch Of us are left
to ourselves to do the work as we
please and to quit at or before the
appointed time without any regard
to the quality Of the work done.
Often we leave nothing but few
scrapers full of dirt or green sod
somewhere on the section line, al
most any place just so we can get
credit for work whether it is a
hindrance to the traffic or not
How long, brother farmer, are we
to continue in this manner? How
is an army of soldiers conducted
or handled? We have a CON-
mander in chief at its head who
gives orders to his generals and
the generals to the colonels and so
on down the line until the soldiers
perform their duties according to
the wish of the commander in
chief. Well, we call that system.
Our educational system is conduct
ed in like manner. How much
would the pupils learn and. what
would be- the result if they were
turned loose to do as they pleased
from 9 a. M. until 4 p. m without
a qualified head to govern them.
Would we not feel that the money
paid out with a system like that
to govern it would be hopelessly
wasted? From my experience
and observation 1 believe that
there are several thousand dollars
wasted every year through this
backnumbered road work system.
If road grade cannot be CON-
pleted it is more Of a detriment
than benefit. But we are asked
show do you propose to remedy
the evil?" Let us follow in the
wake of latter day civilization if we
cannot take the lead. Let us pet
ition our representatives in the
next legislature to pass law to
have the road work done by con-
tract to the lowest bidder and to
have the poll tax as we'll as the
land tax paid in cash. Said road
work to be done according to
.'plans and specifications if | may
call it such, and not to be paid for
until accepted or o KID by a
county highway engineer whose
qualifications must be the same as
the state highway engineer. or if
the engineer cannot be obtained
let the county board appoint man
with a little ''un' common sense to
attend to the work.
Minnesota voted for good road
amendment at the last election by
a $4,000 majority. The state OF
Washington appropriated $84O,OOO
for state roads. This was done in
1908 and if we but look up what
other states are doing we will find
that they are advancing along the
same lines.
Ny experience in the real estate
business has taught me what land
buyers look for first. IN every in
stance whore the roads tributary
to the farm we're poor I failed to
sell the. land. I believe onevlays
work each. year is entirely made
quateior ours needs. We won'd
feel no loss in i 4. money il il we spent