The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-01-24
THE PROBLEM OF BETTER
ROADS TN NORTH DAKOTA

Following is a paper that was pre-
pared to be read before the Tri-State
Grain Growers convention by State
Engineer 4. r. Atkinson, who was.
however. unable to be present because
OF a broken arm. The paper contains
SO much Of vital Importance to North
Dakotans, however, that The Forum
takes pleasure in giving it publicity.
1t reads as follows:
The prophecy made a few years ago
that within a short time the enpendit-
ure in the United States for the con-
struction and maintenance of high
ways and bridges would amount to
$1,000.000 per day, seems now to be
very near fulffllment. In 1904 the to-
tai expenditure for the construction
and maintenance Of roads and bridges
in the United States was $50, 900, 1000,
while for 1911 the expenditure will
approximate $3.50, 900, 900. OF this
amount a large part will be spent in
maintenance, but a larger SUM will be
expended IN new construction in 1912
than in any other previous year.
The problem of better reads has
been partially solved by Minnesota.
The last legislature of this state APP
p~ropriated an annual sum of $150.000
for engineers and their expenses in
experimenting the construction of
state roads, and for the purpose of
state aid in the construction and i'm
provement Of public highways there.
will annually be levied on all taxable
property Of the state a tax of one
fourth mill on each dollar of valua-
fiNY1 III x1y6Sch. mill t.3~rw - 4hg1 fty~l
$250,000 per year.. The legislature also
passed a bill providing for an amend
ment to the constitution which raises
the limit of state road tax which may
be imposed to 1 mill. With a state
road tax Of / mill there would be a
fund of $1,000,0 900 for state road pur-
poses at the present time, and this
sum will annually increase as the val
uation Of the state increases, Under
the present Minnesota law any county
board may designate n established
road, or specified portion thereof In its
as a state road and construct
improve the same in accordance
with the regulations of the highway
commission. The state engineer makes
all necessary surveys, establishes the
grades, prepares plans and speci1ca-
tions and superintends all work on
roads and after the work is COM
pleted to his satisfaction the state
pays one-half the cost OF the roads,
So that this aid fund is in addition to
all other highway taxes and cannot
be used as an excuse for a lower high
way tax in any Of the counties or
In our W state we have just com
menced to think about good roads or
we have just commenced to see
we can have very much better
roads and have awakened to the fact
that our roads are very poor and can
be made much better with better sup
over the construction and
maintenance. So long as we had a
population and but a small
proportion of our state broken and
farmed, and when a fence was a rarity, |
we used the prairie trail, and / want
to say to you that it will be a long
time before we shall have our present
roads as good as the old prairie trail.
In some parts Of our western counties
still have portions of the old trails.
but North Dakota has gone ahead by
and bounds, practically all our
government land has been homestead
and much of it broken and the
objects to having his fields
cut up by trails, so that now we find
ourselves obliged to cross the slough
and go over the hill when formerly
went around both, and since we
nave commenced to grade over the
and cut through the hill we
nave in the majority of cases made
highways that are an abomination and
1 disgrace to the state.
No machine is stronger than it's
weakest part, likewise no road is bet
,er than its poorest piece, for if you
ire going from your farm to market
With a load of produce, you are only
going to take on as much of a load
rs your team can haul over the poor
piece of road.
We are levying an annual highway
ak in North Dakota Of approximately
1850, 600. Some Of this money is un-
loubtedly judiciously expended, while
~ far a greater part, worked out
lnderi the Anticipated statute labor
has left our roads in worse
shape than if no attempt had been
made to expend the money levied for
taxes.
The problem of better roads for the
money expended on them is one OF the
most vital problems Of those which we
to solve, and a problem that
be solved with as much haste
Is is consistent with good Judgment.
The n great source Of hindrance
o the progress of the good roads