The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1912-04-08
system of One Man Overseers Ad.
vised As Being The Best
Method
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WASTED
Have Been Spent In Tinkering Each
| Year and Not In Careful
| Construction.

Chdrles A. FORBES, assistant en-
gineer to the state highway commits
sion, was in Bemidji last week and
while here looked over some of the
roads in Beltrami county adjacent
to the city. Mr.. Forbes is the en-
g1neer who laid out the original
townsite of Bemidji sixteen years
ago and has never lost interest in
| what he calls my town.,
At present, Mr.. Forbes is engaged
at present in building good roads in
the state of Minnesota. He says
that the highway commission is in a
position to assist the counties
materially and hopes to see the day
when the roads of this state will be
equal to those of the Scandinavian
countries. Mr.. Forbes has written to
the Pioneer explaining somewhat the
work of the commission.
'sThe Highway commissions are
we'll pleased with road conditions in
Beltrami county. Mr.. Bliler who
has charge of this district, is
capable man, enjoying the confidence
nf the county commissioners. From
reports gathered they seem IN earn
est in the desire to put the road
work and its improvements on a
systematic basis.
From reliable sources from town
ships and counties, not including the
State appropriations, the amounts
expended since this state began its
existence as a common wealth is
something over one hundred and
twenty-five millions of dollars and
with exception of few macadam
roads in the three counties of St.
Louis, Hennepin and Ramsey, there
is scarcely good road of any con-
siderable length in the whole state
to show for the expenditures And
even now the annual county and
township appropriation is something
over four and one-half millions, and
until the formation Of the highway
commission this amount was too Of
ten dissipated each season over an
entire county without obtaining any
permanent results. Now, however,
the state appropriation for engineer
ing services enables each county to
have the services of a competent en-
gineer and trained road builder al
together at the command of the
county and township authorities.
''The counties appropriations aug
mented with an equal amount from
the state, and the fact that county
commissioners realize the benefits of
doing permanent work, have result
ed in obtaining a system that in
very short time will see and create
all your roads, thoroughfares, that
may be travelled without difficulty
at any season of the year. You know
as rule heretofore all the road
work was done usually in about two
or three weeks in the spring time
and that constituted the whole work
for the year. Farmers and others,
no matter how much they were in
terested on the work, could give any
more time to it. the farm work de-
handing all their attention.
at is fact that on all the great
road thoroughfares extending from
Norway and Sweden down through
Germany and France, across the alps
and down the valleys of Italy into
Rome, the roads are kept in the finest
shape by system of patrol. This
consists of one man who has charge
of six or eight miles or as much as
he can conveniently cover with
rake and hae and shovel He keeps
the road rounded up with a crown,
causing the drainage toward the edg-
es and finding means of getting all
water entirely OF the roadway, and
that is one of the plans suggested
by the highway commission to apply
on our roads in this state.
A man could be obtained for about
$50 per month. equipped with log
drag or drag constructed of plank, a
rake and shovel, and could easily be-
gin on six miles of road and extend
his district as he got the road in
condition. After each rain he would
require team for day or 80 to
tcontlnusd - last 49,,