Morris tribune., 1910-03-04
URGES IMMEDIATE ACTION ON
IMPROVEMENT OF
HIGHWAYS.
WOULD ENHANCE LAND VALUES
Declares That Proper Improvement
of the States Roads Would In
crease Population 100000
in Next Decade.

Minneapolis the annual meet
fng of the Minnesota State Editorial
Association last week, Hon. Robert
C. Dunn, editor of the Princeton
Union delivered the following address
on "The Problem of Good Roads"
To my mind the most important
problem that confronts the people OF
Minnesota at the present time is that
of lettering our public highways.
Good roads is, or should be, the para
mount issue. Certainly no other
question yitally affects so many peo-
pie. 1t is a question that admits OF
no discussion, for each and all OF us,
and every thinking person in the
state, is convinced that the improve
ment of our roads is an Imperative
necessity If you expect disgust
ton from me on the best method OF
constructing or permanently mann
tanning a highway after it is construct
ed you will be disappointed. While
have for years taken deep and ac-
tive inteTe ! in the Improvement or
roads in the vicinity of my home L
do not pose as an expert road d-maker.
It is my purpose rather to point out
how means can be obtained to better
our public highways. If talk were
all that was necessary every town
ship in the state would be speedily
gridironed with macadamized roads.
It is generally conceded that, if
there is to be any marked improve
ment in the condition of our high
ways in the near future it will be
brought about through the medium OF
intelligent state supervision and IL
beral state aid; and also by the re-
modelling of our township and county
road laws. Under present conditions
it is safe to assert that from 25 to SO
per cent of the money and labor ex-
pended upon roads by the minor po-
litical subdivisions of the state is
wasted. To be sure there are local
tiles where intelligent road work is
performed and where full value is
received for every dollar expended.
But it is the problem of state aid
which propose to discuss.
It is not necessary to weary and
confuse you with figures and details
relative to the history of state aid in
The building of roads and bridges.
Suffice it to say that, under our laws
rs they at present exist, it is possible
Tor the legislature to levy an annual
AK on the taxable property of the
state of not to exceed one-fourth OF
oooh dn1Iartc In 0tian
I'r.Or to the adoption of the amend
ment to section 16, article 8, of the
constitution in 1906 Git was not until
Feb. LIST, 1908, that the state supreme
court rendered it's decision holding
that the amendment had been adopt
ed), a tax of One-twentfeth of one
mill was all that could be levied. 1t
was possible for, the legislature OF.
1909 to have levied a tax of one
fourth of one mill, but having made
a direct appropriation of $500, 900;
annually from the revenue fund for
roads and bridges it was deemed in
expedient to increase the tax rate for
sion. 49," .~.
The total amount at the disposal of
the state highway commission for the
year ending. Julyi S1st, 1909, was
$S4,721.H, derived from the one
twentieth of one millj state tax, in
come from investments in the. inter
nal improvement land fund, and five
per cent from the proceeds of the sale
Of United States lands. Even with
the beggarly pittance at it's command
the state highway commission has ac-
complished a great deal, far more
than it is given credit for accomplish
ing. - <
But many of the smaller counties,
counties that stand most in need of
assistance, have received NO benefit
from the fund, because of the unwise
constitutional provision which re-
quires that, in no case shall more
than one-third of the cost Of construc-
ting or improving any road or bridge
be paid by the state from such fund.
Take Kanabec county for example.
It's valuation is less than $2,000,0OO.
Prior to 1907 a tax of only one mill on
each dollars valuation could be lev
led for road and bridge purposes by
a county. Chapter 423, laws of 1907,
provides that tax of two mills may
be levied. If the state highway com
mission were to appropriate the small
sum of $1,000 to aid in the improve
ment or construction of road in
Kanabec county, three-fourths of the
road and bridge fund of that county
would have TO be expended on that
particular road in order to get the
state aid. There are nve commits
sioner districts in the county; there
are roads in each of the districts that
demand attention; the board of coun-
ty commissioners could not expend
three-fourths of their entire county
road and bridge fund upon road in
any one district; the commissioners
from the other four districts would
not sanction such an inequitable di-
vision be the county road and bridge
f,,mNs hAmp0 Kanahoo aounfu oo,.ld