The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-03-08
GIVE US RE NEW SYSTEM.

GIVE US THE NEW SYSTEM.
/ A 'well-known gentleman, not ;
resident of Mankato. writes Tn,
Free Press an Interesting communi
cation in which he opposes doin.
away with the present system o
working out the road tax and advis
es farmers to vote against the In
PRODUCTION of tho new plan which
would result in paying the roat
tax in cash into the county treas
Jury: Our correspondent declares tina
/. this system would be entirel!
wrong. and adds: There is no one
or should be no one as much in
terested in the country highways az
the farmer. He is the one to de
rive the benefits from q good road
The aggitation that has been going
on arouses an unusual amount O
interest among the, farmers and
believe there is no question bu1
that every farmer win work his
taxes in the future
Our correspondent states thai
which is true when he says thai
there should be no one more inter
ested in tho country highways thar
the; farmers. Therefore, the farmers
should vote for the adoption of &
system that will more quickly ant
permanently better the condition Of
the highways. The present system has
been tried and found wanting. Why
go on, and fritter away time and
money on worn-out plan that re
suits in no permanent benefit te
the roads? -. = ILL.,. "a. -.
Continuing our correspondent
writes: Fifteen years ago we had
miles and miles Of good roads over
Blue Earth county, - but the past
ten years no. attention has been paid
to roads, pathmasters were negli
gent. The farmer lives close to the
work that Is to be done, has teams
and plOws to do the work with and
feels responsible for any poor roads,
While If this work is let by con.
tract, greater wages will have to be
paid and it will be necessary to let
these contracts along certain roads,
The writer OF the above has I'M
consciously revealed to the naked
eye the evil of road-maklng which
prevails under the present absurd
system. 1t is true that no atten-
ton has been paid to a number OF
highways in Blue Earth county, and
in some instances too much attention
has been paid to roads that had
better been left unniolested. They
were spoiled in the attempt at re
pairing them. "
/ 1t is true, as our correspondent
says, the farmers do live close to
the work, and for that reason they
could be employed In assisting con.
tractors in the making Of roads.
But their work, under this system,
would not be done in a haphazard
manner as the contractors would
have plans which they must neces-
sarily follow otherwise their labors
would all be for naught and their
troubles would begin when they pre-
scented bills to the town boards or
county commissioners, who are cloth
ed with the authority to award such
contracts.
The wages paid out for road work
would go into the pockets of the
farmers, and thus they would become
the benefleiaries, both ways. They
would not only obtain a better system
of highways, but they would also reap
payment for the labor performed in
bringing about this desirable end.
Here is one of the doleful walls
from the CORRESPONDENT: at will
undoubtedly be twenty years before
the work could be pushed over the
entire township. If you don't happen
to be one of the first served you
may have to pull through a mud
hole for. twenty years, before the
contractors !. get around to your
place, and these contractors are go
ing to figure a heavy profit that
the farmer cannot afford to pay.
OFFICIALS some times have an axe
to grind and often times aggitations
of this kind are for the benefit of
some official who wants to take
this contract work. Pledges are east.
ly made and soon forgotten. If you
vote to pay your taxes direct, you
will be sorry for 1t before the year
is over Let every farmer take an
interest and let every road overseer
be honest and honorable in the dis
charge of his duties and we Will
have good. roads everywhere"
The latter suggestion is a good
one, ff followed, but it does not go
far enough. The fact remains that
roads will not be permanently better.
ed until the town boards or the
county commissioners adopt plans
by which the road work can be
carried out. Under the present de-.
plOrabie system the roads are given
the worst OF it" and our correspond.
entS knows This tn he true The