The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-12-27

Il
uty engineer in that district Is theI
instructed to make surveys, plans
specifications an destimates of the
work to be done When the estim
ated cost is less than $500, the coun
~ officials are at liberty to perform
the work by contract or by day la
Dor under the supervision of thu
district engineer. When the estimat
ed cost is over $500, the plans ant
specifications must be submitted
to the highway commission for .ap
Iproval before the work is performed
| Upon the completion Of any road
or bridge work on state roads, il
must be, inspected and accepted BY
the highway engineers before the
states proportion of the expense
1 will be granted.
Duties Of Highway Engineer.
Besides the work on designated
state roads, each district highway
engineer is required by law upof
request of county or town author
tiles in his district, .to advise and
! consult with such county or town
board in the construction or in
proyement OF county, town or judi
cial roads; to make plans and speci
| fications when so required; to exer
else supervision over such .construc
ton or improvements, and lend every
possible assistance to the local road
authorities in bettering the public
highways. Final payment shall not
be made Oh any contract for road
work, where the amount involved
exceeds two hundred dollars, by any
county or town board, until the dis
! trict engineer has certified that the
work has been properly, done and
completed according to contract
The state engineer is also required
to make an annual inspection of all
/ bridges exceeding thirty, feet in
length, to safeguard public traffic
and maintain the efficiency of the
bridges.
Counties Have Rights.
| Thus 1t is seen that the counties
have the right to designate their
own state roads. But there is a mis-
understanding in the minds of many
people regarding the purpose of the
highway commission in regard to
| road construction 1t is quite gen
orally believed that the intention is
! to construct a system of expensive
and permanent roads of stone and
gravel or macadam. little. at a
! time, which would ultimately result
! in a few trunk lines across the
state. This was. in fact. the original
idea of the commissions; but a care
ful study Of conditions soon dis
closed its fallacy on account OF the
! excessive cost to counties Of such
construction and the fact that a
| few localities must be favored at
the expense Of the many. The aim
of the highway commission now is
to apply state aid to general i'm
provement of tho common earth
road as it already exists. and leave
the plan OF permanent trunk lines
! TO be worked ont at a later date
when more facilities are at hand.
This scheme is evidently highly ia.
rored by the people OF the state. as
every county in the state has OK
pressed a willingness to comply with
the requirements Of the new law In
regard to state supervision Of such
work. Up to the first of the year,
fourteen counties had not availed
themselves of the offer OF state aid;
but the sentiment for better roads
is spreading. SO rapidly that it is
expected even these tardy ones will
align themselves to their more pro-
2reSsiye7 neighbors before the year
is out
Further Progressive Legislation.
Another feature OF the 1911 legis-
lation favoring road improvement
was the passage of law for the es.
adjustment Of state rural highways
commonly known as the "Elwell
Law" This law, after SOME legal
discussion, was recently declared
constitutional by the Supreme Court
and is now in force. 1t provides for
the establishment OF rural highways
almost exactly as county and judicial
bitches are constructed, with some
few variations. The designation of
such highways comes from the peo-
pie themselves, instead of from the
county board. as in the road law just
discussed. When such a highway Is
desired by the people along the
route, six or more representative
land owners must enter a petition
for same to the county commission.
ers, if in one county. or to the Judge
Of the district court, when it ex-
tends into two or more counties.
# the petition is approved by either
Of these authorities, it must then.
be submitted to the highway com.
mission for final approval
Hearing Is Held. ..c.
No official objections being raised,
a hearing is called by the local
authorities where the subject is dis.
cusscd by the interested land own.
crs themselves. A majority vote re.
suits in the ordering of the contract.
and the establishment of the road
goes forward under the direction OF
the highway commission engineers.
The state then pays the counties
one-half of the cost of such construc-
ton up to the limit of the allotment
OF the road fund allowed by the
highway commission to the county or
counties interested. The remainder
must be expended, half by the coun-
ty or counties and half by the land
owners who receive the benefit with
the privilege of extending such land
payments foyer a period, of ten years
The advantage of this law lies in
the fact that it makes large amounts.
of money available for immediate
use on extended or costly road i'm
provement
Highway Law improved.
Such was tho situation when the
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