The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-01-24

|. F#tA SN~9
! the use of the poor roads that it is
! not so much a question OF Q we
can better the roads but how q q
road we can get over in going to town.
we do not realize that in many cases
the cost Of maintenance Of the horses
and help and the wear and tear on our
horses, harness and wagons. made
necessary by the poor condition of the
roads, would pay our annual grocery
bill.
The argument that the fellow who is
benefited by better roads is the 'au-
tomobilist is very weak. We have APP
p~roximately 1000 automobiles in the
state. of which not more than 5000
go far from the city streets, and we
have $4,000 farmers. Certainly the
farmer is the one most benefited by
good roads. But the fertility of our
soil is overcoming this argument
against the ~automobilist. Our farms
all over the northwest are producing
a~bundantly and are going to produce
more abundantly, so that the number
of farmers who own automobiles is
steadily increasing.
DO you know that when. by law you
force a few improvements onto a man
and make his property pay for the
benefit you have given him by the en-
hancement of it's value, that while he
may fight the proposition at first, he
will eventually see that you have made
a start in the Improvement of his
property and will do more improving
himself. This is especially noticeable
in the work of improving and beauti-
flying of cities. If we force the con-
structfon of sidewalks, curbs and park
ways, the property owner invariably
takes more pride in the appearance
of his private grounds and the matter
of assessments which he has to pay for
the improvements forced upon him
does not appear neal so large as when
he was first told that the Improvement
work was going ahead. So 1t is with
the Improvement of the country high
ways. Some farmer will protest Wig
orously when first he learns that he
can no longer work his highway
taxes under the ANTICIPATED system, but
when he finds that he has a better
road than he ever had before over
which to drive to town and transport
his products, and at a cost of con-
struction no greater to him than under
the old system, he is going to have
better wagons and carriages and keep
the farmyard and grounds in better
shape.
How then Fan we secure better
roads in North Dakota? First, abolish
the statute labor tax, Second, provide
for competent and skillful supervision
over the construction of all roads.
Third, provide for the same super
vision over the maintenance of all
roads. Fourth, teach highway engin-
eering in our agricultural college and
state university. Fifth, state aid In
highway construction.
The very day that the construc-
ton of a piece of road is completed,
the work of maintenance should be-
gin. In the European countries where
good roads are constructed of mac
adam or paving material, organized
gangs of men r continually at work
on maintenance. How much more is
this necessary in North Dakota where
our country roads for years to come
will be made of the earth material at
hand? "A stitch in time will save
nine" is just as true on the road as
on the clothes we wear.
What railroad corporation would
long survive who attempted to do their
construction work in the same man
ner that we now attempt to use the
money we receive for highway taxes2
The organization OF the railroads on
construction and maintenance work
consists of a chief engineer, with a
corps of competent assistants and sub
ordinates and when a piece OF con-
%struction work is contemplated these
assistants are sent out to make care
full and detailed surveys OF all the ter
ritory through which it is proposed
to construct. and the final route Is
determined on only after careful study
has been made from the records OBJ.
tanned.
It is a notorious fact that we ars
lacking good men In the field OF high
way engineering. Not only is this
true in u own state, but it is true
in every state In the union. Only re-
Gently have our leading universities
taken up this matter and departments
OF highway engineering are being es-
tablished and this branch of engineer
ing being taught. In our own uni
versity and agricultural college this
branch of engineering should be in
1OauSC0 Go 0OO1 do POSGlDlG AlQ our M
young men taught this important sub
ject in order that knowledge of II
be more widespread and better
understood by the intelligent me- in
every community.
New we come to the question OF
state aid in highway construction. I
have already shown and you may set
1t down as a fundamental truth of
universal application, emphasized by
experience in this country as well as
in the old world, that before perma-
nent road Improvement IAN be sue
cessfully made. and state or county
funds in aid thereof properly ex-
pended. skilled supervision Of the work
In all its steps must be provided ana
a well organized administrative sys-
tenn, from the state down to the small
est political unit, maintained.
At the present time more than onaY
half Of the state Of the union provide
state aid for the construction and i
maintenance of roads. This aid is
sometimes given to those counties or
townships which expend a like amount
Some OF the states require that the
petitioners for an improved road pay
a small percentage Of its cost. What
ever the method OF ~disbursing tho
state aid fund it is significant that no
state grants aid unless it supervises
the expenditure OF the fund. Neither
is there to my knowledge a single
that has granted state aid and
employed expert supervision over he
construction and maintenance of its
highways that has ever gone back to
rJ6 curfnY1a