The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-06-23

shown after they had been taken care
Of by the processes advocated by the
speaker He thought the split log drag
was an excellent thing for working the
roads and his Illustrations on this
point were ample proof that he was
right He gave Illustrations of the
false and correct manner of building
bridges and he was strong advocate
of concrete. He told of an excellent
road that had been made near Crooks
ton of gumbo such as exists in North
Dakota. His address was more in the
nature of a talk and he was entertain
Ing and instructive.
Governor Burke Speaks.
The next speaker introduced by
President Worst was Governor Burke
and he said he was glad to be able to
say few words to the young engi-
neers Of the summer school who were
present, because a large amount of the
success of road building in the future
would be in their hands. He paid
them high compliment for their at
tention to the remarks of the preced-
ing speaker.
He said when the first white set
tiers came to North Dakota they didn't
come here to build good roads, but to
make homes for themselves and after
they had succeeded in doing that they
gave their attention to the building
of schools and colleges, and he spoke in
the highest terms of the great asricul-
tural college of Fargo that the state
had erected and maintains, but now
that all these schools have been built
and other public institutions erected
the people had begun to talk about the
roads and he was heartily in favor of
good roads. He said that the state
naturally had good roads when the
weather was fine, but very bad when
the weather wasn't so good Then he
said he had heard it deplored that the
young men and the young women were
leaving the farms for city life, but that
this didn't bother him at ALL because
he knew the soil would always be the
great resource of the country Then
he went on to tell how the soil had
increased in value right along until
people of other states had begun to
come here to buy 1t, and how in re-
mote places even 800 an acre was
being paid for 1t. He said the soil
here was just as good as the soil of
Illinois or any other state, but that the
great necessity now is to get good
roads to get the grain to the markets.
He believed that while now North Da-
kota was helping to feed every part of
the world the time would come when
all 1t could grow would be used in the
United States, and he attributed, this
to the expected increase in population
he said one way to encourage the boys
and girls to stay on the farm was to
give them good roads, so that a man
who lived ten to fourteen miles out of
town would by reason of the automo-
bile be almost living in town. He said
that many Of the farm hands now own
ed autos. He believed the time would
surely come when 1t would be posi-
bic to haul the grain to the railroads
and elevators by motive power at the
rate of fifteen miles an hour.
Governor Burke said that he believed
that the system of paying cash for road
taxes was the proper system, but Just
now as the farmer is a little anxious
about the outcome of the coming sea-
son he wouldn't want 1t tried at pres
ent. He said that he believed that if
the good roads convention would pre-
sent to the next or some other legis-
lature clear and concise method,
looking to the betterment of the roads
Of the state the legislature would do its
utmost to acquiesce to the requests
Of the convention.
S. r. cox's Address.
S. r. Cox, of Arcola, Ill, was the
next speaker. He has the contract at
$4,000 year for keeping the roads in
Arcola township in good order and he |
has found that the system works we'll |
He stated that the system of contract |
vas advocated by the commercial club |
If Arcola, which was tired of seeing |
he money spent for keeping the roads I
n order actually thrown away He
lad charge of the roads of that town
hip for the past twenty two months |
md in that time Arcola township now
lad $4,000 In its treasury, something
hat the township had never before
,nown, and the roads were good. He
avored a reinforced concrete bridge
nd the corrugated sewer, and he, too.
.dvocated the split log drag, but said +
hat he had devised other simple road
making machinery that had worked
letter than the split log affair. He
tated that people had come miles to
AXE look at the roads as he had
made them and he took pleasure in
howing them, because he took pleas
ire in his work. He gave an illus
ration of how the work used to be
one in his township by saying that IL
plank was needed in a bridge it was
lecessary to call the commissioners
ogether which counting their pay
mounted to about SIS and that the
dvertising for the meetings, and 9TH
r expenses run the cost of that single i
lank up to $40 to $25 when maybe the
ntire cost of the work wouldn't be
yer ten cents, not counting the cost
f the plank. The red tape business
7as expensive. He said that beyond a
oubt If you kept water from either
wing or running an Or thro,,oh ~v~,,n