New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1910-01-26
GOOD ROADS
What Others Do.

Over in Owatonna the Steele County
Good Roads Association recently
held their annual meeting which, ac-
cording to the Journa al Chronicle, was
well attended and interesting in every
respect.
Representative L. Virtue was called
upon and mentioned his lifelong in
terest in good roads. He declared his
belief that the agitation of the past
few years in this country had resulted
in great advance in road work. The
people are taking more interest and
are becoming educated in the impor-
tance of the matter. In his opinion
the question had now become one of
finances. We known how to build
good roads and know that they are
necessary, but how to finance them is
The question. Everyone has an idea,
but as all ideas cannot be used, it is
necessary for people to get together
and agree, He suggested that the
good road associations should fede-
rate themselves: like the women
clubs, to get together for effective
effort towards good legislation. The
live business men everywhere are
willing and anxious to pay taxes to
get good roads. The question is one
of method in raising and handing the
money. Mr.. Virtue explained the
action of the legislature in providing
for the 100000 road appropriation,
independent of the state highway COM
mission department., but which was
knocked out by the supreme court on
the question Of constitutionality.
This left nothing done by the last
legislature along this line. An effort
to pass law establishing the cash
system of paying road taxes had been
defeated by the speaker of the House.
1t every county we're like Steele
county, with a live association, and
all would get together something
would surely be accomplished. Mr..
Virtue said he was satisfied the people
were ready FOR advanced good roads
legislation. ...
Senator eastman was next called
upon and agreed with Mr.. Virtue as
to the pressing need now of financial
aid for good road work, which he
thought should be afforded by the
state. There is no reason why the
small communities should bear the
whole burden of building their good
roads. The big cities and big corpo-
ration industries derive benefit from
good roads right here in Steele county,
and should pay a share. The one
twentieth of a mill tax at present gives
Steele county but Sl17O. If the full
mill allowed by law we're levied, this
county would get a substantia al amount.
The tax would amount to but ST. .32 on
on each quarter section. Some of
our townships are far enough advanc-
ed to have adopted the cash system
and the doing of new work by con-
tract. There is no good reason in
putting men to work on the roads who
have had no experience and are not
interested, which is the result of the
workout system. Even team has
to work at job for time before it
gets in its best work. Experience is
valuable and should be utilized.
Many farmers can i'll spare the time
to work on the roads. Why not give
the work to the men who have the time
and want to work on the roads, and
pay them for the work?
The latest contribution for proposed
legislation for highway construction
in the United States is bill of Repre-
sentative Garner of Texas, pro rating
SIC, 100000 among the states and terri
tories, according to mileage of the
travelled public roads.