The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-06-29
HINTS TN ROAD MAKING FROM
EXPERIENCE OF OTHER STATES
Remarkably Comprehensive Outline Of Plan for Better Roads
Given in Speech at Recent Convention by
SweinbjOrn Johnson


as to the wealth of the states named
North Dakota in 1909 is, in rount
give the assessed valuation of al
property. The assessed valuation o
/ North Dakota in 1909 is, In rounS
numbers. $2SO,0O0,00O.
What Some States Do.
New Hampshire, with an assessed
valuation OF S249,000, 900, appropriate
annually as state aid In road building
$375,OOO and recently bonded itself Ii
the sum of 100000 for this purpose
Rhode Island, with an assessed valua
ton of $49I00o,O00, recently bonded
itself In the sum of 100000 to rails,
funds in aid of road building. Maine
with an assessed valuation of 1914.
100000, expends annually S321,159.3I
in the form Of state aid and has spent
since 1902 the sum OF $4,000. This
amount to be expended for this pur.
pose in 1910 in Maine is raised by 6
tax of three-fourths of one mill or
the assessed valuation of all property
liable to taxation.
New Jersey in 1909 expended 5000.
geo in aid of road building Vermont
with an assessed valuation of $195.
100000, annually appropriates $4,000
for this purpose.
! If North Dakota should impose 9
tax of one-half a mill for state aid
purposes it would bring an annual
amount equal to $4,000 Assuming
that the state should bear one-hali
of the cost of building gravel roads
at a cost OF $4,000 per mile, and the
county the other half, the state could
aid in the building of at last 100
miles of improved roads annually and
in twenty years the state would have
at least 1000 miles of improved roads
To give you some idea of the ex-
tent to which states have gone into the
work OF road building and have con-
tributed funds in aid thereof it might
be useful to refer to the amounts a
few states have spent to date New
Jersey granted state aid for the first
| time in 1892 and since that time has
invested $3,300,000 in road improve
ment and the state now has over 1,400
miles Of roads improved by state aid,
many Of which are as smooth and
level as the best pavements in your
city. Pennsylvania first undertook
this work in 1904 and has since that
date appropriated $4,000, 900 for this
purpose and as q result has about 500
miles of-road improved permanently by
state aid. New York recently issued
bonds of the state in the sum of $50, :
OOO,000 for the purpose of permanently
improving its wagon roads and some
2'400 miles have been improved with
the assistance OF the state. Michigan
with over 400 miles improved in this
way, Massachusetts, with 1850, Connect
icut with 500, Ohio with 100 and Cali
fornia, Washington and other states
have spent millions OF dollars in aid
ing the localities to build permanent
highways, The movement for state
aid is rapidly spreading and it is unf-
versally. conceded that because of the
nature of the work the technical skill
required and the expense involved it
Is proper for the state to engage in
this work.
The Situation in North Dakota.
Before leaving the. subject of state
aid desire briefly to refer to the
situation in North Dakota in this con-
nection. Section 1876 of our constitu
ton provides that the state shall not
engage in any work of internal i'm
provement unless authorized by a two
thirds vote Of the people. 1t Is, there
fore, clear that this section must be
amended before the state can under
take to appropriate money in and of
road construction, and under the most
favorable conditions the process of
amendment will require at least six
years to complete. The constitution of
wisconsin contained a similar pro-
vision, but an amendment passed in
1903 permits state aid in road building.
IL therefore, you look forward to the
time when North Dakota will join the
ranks of states that now aid in road
construction 1t will be necessary for
you to urge upon your legislators the
necessity of amending the constitution
in the particular to which have just
referred
i AS already suggested earlier in my
remarks, one of the first steps taken
In the direction of progress in highway
improvement was to provide efficient
administrative machinery and skilled
supervision. This the state accom-
plished by the creation of the office Of
state engineer or state highway COM
missioner or highway department.. This
department supervised the improve
ments made with state money, wholly
or in part. In many cases it consists
of three commissioners who are paid
a high salary, IKE New York for ex-
ample. In others 1t consists OF but
single commissioner, with clerical
assistants, who Is also the state en-
gineer In still others the highway
commission is composed of members
ex officio. or the state geological sur
vey does the work, like Wisconsin,
In Maryland, where some good work
is being done, the highway commission
is composed of two members of the
geological survey and the governor. ex
officio In Virginia the governor APP
points q citizen, who must be a road
builder and civil engineer, as highway
commissioner. This commissioner and
the professors of civil engineering in
four state institutions constitute the
state highway department II a medi-
um OF efficiency at the minimum Of
cost Is all that is desired this plan is
probably as good as any and Is at
least hopeless beginning.
County Officers Needed.
Every. state pretending to any pro-
gress In the building of public roads,
granting state aid or not, has
provided for an officer In the county
possessing certain specified QUALITIES
tions, whose duty 1t is to supcrintend
the road work OF the county. He is
generally required to be a civil en-
gineer, an experienced road builder or
to possess the qualifications essential
to proper discharge of his functions.
He makes plans for bridges and road