Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1912-05-02
..dopted last year, the opposition can
not honestly blame the system.

county superintendents were appoint
ed out of eighty-five counties, but the
law was declared unconstitutional,
owing to the provision in the bill
that exempted the three big coun
ties. In their 1911 session of the leg
islature the state passed highway
commission law which appropriates
$15O,000 annually for highway en-
gineers to be distributed over the
state. Working under that law now
they have forty district engineers,
two division engineers, six county
superintendentss and will increase
the number by five or more district
engineers, counties where they have
no resident engineers, and about 20
road patrols. Each engineer has a.
bout two counties under his charge
and is expected to devote his time
equally to them. The taxpayers of
the state are we'll satisfied with the
plan and the county and town boards
are beginning to work in harmony
with the highway engineers.
Every state in the union that has
accomplished anything worth while
ir good roads construction, has first
created administrative machinery
under which are highway engineers,
and practical road builders. Further,
every state pretending to any pro-
gress in the building of good roads
whether granting state aid or not,
have provided for an officer in the
county possessing certain specified
qualifications, whose duty it is to su-
perintend the road work of the coun-
ty. This man is generally civil en-
gineer who has had experience in
road building or who possesses the
qualifications essential to the pro-
per discharge of his duties.
This engineer makes plans for
bridges and road improvements, ad-
vises about machinery and in general
assists the highway authorities of the
county with their work.
Under the county official is the
township or district supervisor. This
township or district supervisor: ssu-
perintends, the work of the local road
overseers and aids them with advice
and counsel.
At the present time more than one
half of the states of the union pro-
vide state aid for the construction
and maintenance of roads. This aid
is sometimes given to those counties
or townships which extend like
amount. Some of the states require
that the petitioners for an improved
road pay small percentage of it's
cost. To my knowledge there is not
q single state that has ever granted
STATE aid and employed expert s,,-
pervision over the construction and
maintenance Of it's highways that has
ever gone back to the old system.
The constitution of North Dakota
prohibits the granting of aid for
works of internal improvement, but
concurrent resolution passed the
last legislature for an amendment to
the constitution which provides that
the state may appropriate money for
aid in the construction and improve
ment of highways. This resolution
must come before the next legis-
ture in 1913 and if concurred in by
that legislature will be submitted to
a vote of the people in 1914, and if
IL comes by the vote of the people,
laws making appropriations for this
purpose may be enacted in the legis-
lature of 1915.
One great obstacle In the way of
better highway construction and
maintenance is the present ante6uat-
ed method of working out"the high
way tdAS6s ~ oAVW yOu ~" SAAS
sentiment in favor Of the payment of
all highway taxes in cash is growing
throughout the United States, call
your attention to the fact that at the
present time nearly one-half of the
states now require by law either tdxt
all highway taxes be paid "a Cash OF
give the counties or fowAsAtps The
power toyutt 70 order . money pay.
msnt Of all taxes. II is significant
fact that these states who have made
the most progress in good road con:
structloA have done away with stat
ute aahef, and their experience con
clusfvely shows what every practisal
HMflder in the county contehas
namely, that statute labor is the 'ont
great obstacle In the pathway tof pro
Rress in permanent hagAwaytmprove
ment.
The county supetfhtehdent of high