The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1910-01-14
State Capital Letter
Doinss at st. Paul as Reported by Our Special
Correspondent
correspondent.

st. Paul. = That the good roads
movement is but just started in Min.
nesota seems demonstrated by stats
tics Forthcoming in the report of the
state highway commission, now in
course of preparation. But on the
other hand, it will also show that the
people throughout the state are be-
coming more alive every day to the
benefits to be derived from better
roads, and with one and all awake to
this, the battle is half won.
The highway commission estimates
that there are 1929 miles of wagon
roads at present in Minnesota. OF this
mileage, there is but $50 of macadam
the best of all country roads-but
10000 miles of gravel roads; and the
great balance-69,175 miles-is but or
binary earth roads-mere trails
Up to date, there are only IL coun-
ties which have as yet failed to Gesig.
nate state roads" under the special
law which is aimed to thereby give
them special road building aid from
the state. These IL counties are Beck.
er, Cottonwood, Dodge. LeSuepr, Now.
er, Otter Tail, Pope, Rock, Wilkin, Vel.
low Medicine and Jackson. And it is
believed that before long, most OF
these dozen slow ones will "get into
line"
State funds in the hands of the
highway commission for distribution
among the respective counties for road
betterments, are yearly increasing
These funds are derived from spe.
cial one-twentieth of a mill general
tax, five per cent from government
land sales, and the interest each year
from the internal improvement land
fund. No county is allowed more than
three per cent of the total amount, no
matter how progressive it may be in
road building; and no county can be
allotted less than one-half of one per
cent, no matter how slow it's officials
may be in actions toward lettering
travel conditions.
The maximum amount allowed coun-
ties in 1907 under highway commits.
sion allotment was $1,600-the three
eountfes drawing this amount being
Hennepin, Ramsey and st. Louis. In
1908, the maximum amount was $1,000,
drawn by the same three counties.
But during the year 1909, the maxi
mum amount was $1,000 and each of
sixteen counties received this sum.
In 1907 the amount Of state money
available through the highway com.
mission allotment, was $4,000. OF
this, only $4,000 was drawn out by
the various counties for the reason
that it was not then available until
after August /. But in 1908, when the
amount available for the year was
$4,000, the counties drew out $751;.
000-some overlapping from the year
before. During 1909, $4,000 was
available and although the reports
from the various counties are just
beginning to come in it looks as
though nearly all of this money has
been spent for road work the past
working season. 1t is estimated that
in 1910, $4,000 will be distributed
by the state.
State Highway Engineer George w
Cooley, of Minneapolis, looks for a
most liberal growth of the good roads
movement with the breaking OF
spring. This will be given impetus
when the State Roadmakers' Associa.
ton meets at the Auditorium in ST.
Paul, March 16, IL, Is, 19,-at the
servation congress projected by Gov
Eberhart. At that time, the state
highway commission will have an elab.
crate exhibition, consisting of NINA.
ture model roads, demonstrating their
construction in detail. There will
also be a lecture delivered either by
Mr.. Cooley or by M. o. Eldridge, as
sistant director of the public roads
office at Washington, D. C. This lee.
ture will be illustrated by stereopti-
con views.
More Good Crop Statistics.
George Welch, Minnesota commits
sioner of immigration, and represent
ing in his work the state immigration
board, has just completed an interest
sofa crops with those of surrounding
states, both as to amount produced
and the average yield per acre. The
table is surprising in the things it
sets forth.
For instance, Iowa, which has a
reputation as being such a wonder
full corn producing state, does show
an immense crop (289,8O0,OO0 bush.
els), but it averaged but 31.5 bushels
to the acre, compared with 34.8 bush
els of Minnesota corn to the acre.
Minnesota's fax crop (4,500,000 bush
els) averaged 10 bushels to the acre,
compared with an average of but a
fraction over bushels in Iowa, North
and South Dakota. And as to pota-
toes, there are a number of states
which produced more in the aggregate
OF bushels than did Minnesota u.s.
100000 bushels), but none of them
can touch Minnesota with her wonder
full 1909 record of an average Of lis
bushels to the acre. Minnesota also
shows up with an apple crop during
1909 of 78 per cent'of 100 per cent
cron-tho host showing of any middle