The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1911-08-07

Iund. Inc remaining ~ per cent
must be reserved for the other so
counties. II advantage is taken Of
the 1O-year clause the counties which
first impress on the highway COM
mission the merits of their projects
will have tied up that portion of the
fund for 10 years.
"The heft of this money ought to
go where it will do most good Now
we may be mistaken, but we think
it is needed in some of the northern
counties more than anywhere else.
That is for the state highway COM
mission to determine after it has
heard all the stories, but we are go
ing on the theory that by their need
and by the good it will do them, most
of the "a or rs counties that should
get the lions share are among our
neighbors. ~=. i
"There is another reason why the
northern counties should be interest
ed. Under the ordinary procedure,
state and federal lands do not pay
their share of road work. Under the
Elwell law, lifting bodily the ditch
law, state lands pay their assessment
and government lands are expected
to bear their part. We have heard of
towns where no improvements were
possible for want of property taxable
for the cost. If such town will vote
only part of the money, it can get
the Elwell law to do the rest-as
long as the state allowance for the
county is not exhausted.
"The Elwell bill is designed to do
the most good to the sections that
need it most. 1t provides for the
first time for comprehensive road
work, instead of fragmentary i'm
provements. 1t provides largely that
the cost of the Improvement shall be
met from the enhanced value estab-
lished.
"The first county to get action is
Winona. Winona county is spending
$4,000 under the Elwell law for
about 20 miles of macadamized road
at $4,000 a mile. The state pays
100000 of that and the county $780,
900, and the Winona banks under
took to see that the debentures were
placed at per cent. The other
$4,000 was raised almost entirely
by subscription instead of assess
ment. The sum was subscribed by
wealthy farmers, who wished better
automobile runs to the city, by vii
'ases through which the road would
pass, and by the people in the cities,
who wished the opportunity to get
more easily into the country and en-
JOY. it's, refreshment. -, -. 80
'Winona thereby absorbs for the
nest 10 years per cent of the state
fund, unless the state increases in
the meantime it's levy. So not all
the rs counties that get the maxi
mum can be in northern Minnesota.
We do not begrudge Winona the
money. 1t would not do us any good
if we did,. The money will be we'll
spent and the expenditure will re-
dound to the benefit of the whole
state. Furthermore, any county.
where the people take enough inter-
est in the project to subscribe volun-
tarily one-fourth of the amount.
ought to get pretty near anything
they ask. -
"But there are counties among
our neighbors that need state high
ways every bit as much as Winona,
and from our point of view more.
There are sections where a slashing
through the woods would look bet
ter to bewildered eyes than an as
phalt road in Winona.
"The state of Minnesota is in a DO
sition to spend next year 100000
for roads under the Elwell act. That
is going some. But do you know, a
district is not thoroughly equipped
unless it has road every mile. One
road every mile would call for 49,
600 miles in st. Louis county, exact
ly the distance around the world.
AT the lowest practicable figure it
would cost $25,000,00O. The job of
road building in St. Louis county will
not be finished this year. Neither
will it be finished in Koochiching
So let's do what we can today and