The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-05-17

of George w. Cooley, state highway
engineer. The session adjourned at
noon until this afternoon when fur
Their instruction was taken up.
At this mornings session, c. E.
Nagel, bridge engineer for the state
highway commission, opened up a
general discussion on bridge work.
Several of the forty-three engineers
present took part i'm the discussion,
which proved most profitable. George
w. Cooley presided and had general
charge of the school. ...
The afternoon was taken UP with
continuation of the bridge work
discussion and road work and adj
ministratiOn was considered later on
this afternoon. Most of these en-
gineers arrived yesterday and were
present at the banquet and meeting
held at the knight of Columbus hall,
for the town road overseers, district
engineers, good roads men, etc, Civ
en- by the Mankato Commercial club.
Wind-Up of Meeting.
George w. Cooley, state highway
engineer, went on to say, in his
address at the good roads banquet,
given at the Knights of Columbus
hall yesterday, that there are i'm
Minnesota, 1900 townships, with
from ten to fifteen road overseers
in each. He suggested that the over
seers elect a superintendent to be
responsible for the work. BY doing
this, systematic way of getting
the work done and done rightly,
would be secured.
Roads in Norway and Sweden.
I'm Norway and Sweden are found
the best roads in the world. There
an overseer must be college gradu-
ate and experienced in road con-
Struction. Their system of working
out road taxes would put our system
to shame.
eff | had my way would
abolish every road overseer--not
the men but the Offices. | would
appoint man in each town as
superintendent of road-work within
his jurisdiction so that there would
be some, responsible man at the
head
There, are two fundamental prin-
ciples in road construction: one,
drainage: two, foundation" he said,
touching slightly on the road con-
struction.
The question Of road administra-
ton as it affects our highways is
a hard one to solve. In many cases
the original road through some
country, no matter how crooked,
was never Strengthened in after
years.
There is nothing i'm the whole
highway system that is frought with
greater meaning than that word,
"ruts," not only in the roads but
also in our heads. The practice
under the Elwell bill is the best
way to get good permanent roads
The people of this state have raised
enough money to build fine roads,
having spent about $175,O00,000 in
the last fifty or sixty years, an
average of $4,5OO,OOO year.
1.-THE province of the highway
commission is not to build expen.
sive macadam roads, for auto speed.
ers, but efficient highways for the
farmer. .s
County Surveyor Walter +. Brooks
was called upon by the chairman
for few remarks before introducing
Mr.. Palmer.
Early Time Difficulties.
Those who have been in this
state in its early history know the
the difficulties we had to contend
with" said Mr.. Brooks, and perhaps
we have made progress, but if we
consider the cost of accomplishing
this work, we have not done much
1t was not many years ago that d
man who sought an audience on
good roads was considered joke
''The people now want good roads
and they will get them for it is
within their power.
If there are any ruts in our roads
or heads, let's find them and dig
them out.
George M. Palmer, chairman OF
the good roads committee of the
Commercial club spoke on 'Incom
potency VS.. Efficiency" He second
ed the statements of the chairman