The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-12-27
BETTER THE HIGHWAYS
HOW STATE HAS AIDED

Minnesota is taking an advanced
stand in the Improvement of its
public highways. Progressive legis
lauon, active construction and pop
nlar enthusiasm have all helped In
creating aud furthering this stand
SO that now there is being felt a
statewide movement for better
roads. 1t is only in the past half
dozen years, however, that this in.
tereSt has been aroused, and dts IN.
ceptiop was marked by the creation
Of state highway commission to
whom much of the credit is due. In
previous article, recently published
III The Farmer, suggestions were
offered as to what the farmer might
do in maintaining an improved con.
dition of their local roads by means
Of continused used of the road drag.
The purpose of the present article
is to show what the state is doing,
through its highway commission, in
effecting a system of permanent
highways throughout our rural com.
munities. . -
Creation of Commission.
:. The Minnesota state highway
commission was created by act of
the legislature in 1906, the appoint.
ments being made and their duties
commencing on January II, 1906.
Previous to this date there had been
no official action in regard to high
ways. The legislature parcelled out
small appropriations of money, to
various districts of the state for
road purposes when such was re-
quested, but there was no general
supervision of work done on the roads
and no record kept For several
years, however, local meetings had
been held in nearly all of the coun-
ties in the state, and good roads
associates were formed in nearly
half of the counties, the object of
the association being principally
to arouse sentiment in favor of the
general plan Of road beterment. And
this sentiment among the people
became so strong that the 1esisla-
ture was finally induced to take ac-
ton toward the organization of all
the highway improvement work In
the state. p. .s.. -.
Minnesota's First Road Law.
In 1905 Minnesota's first road law
was passed. Under its provisions,
the governor, early in 1906, appoint
ed state highway commission OF
three members, each one in success
sion TO be reappointed or succeed
ed every year for periods of three
years. George w. Cooley, the pres
ent holder of the office, was appoint
ed by the commission as its secre.
tary and state highway engineer.
His principal duties as outlined in
h,N 1o.,.- -. rr;,. 81, 1t,
assistance, and supervision With re-
gard to road construction throughout
the state as time and conditions will
permit" 1t was further provided
Whenever practicable, said commits
sion shall investigate and determine
the location Of road material in the
state, ascertain the most approved
methods Of construction and I'M
provement of roads, investigate the
most approved laws in the relation
to roads in ther states, and hold
public meetings throughout the state
when deemed advisable" r ...~
Affordins State Aid.
For the purpose Of affording state
aid in the construction and improve
ment Of public highways, the law
provided for the levying Of an an
nual tax Of one-twentieth of mill,
together with all moneys ,accruing
from the Investment of the internal
Improvement land fund. The annual
allotment of this amount was placed
in the hands of the highway COM
mission, with the one restriction
that no county should receive in one
year more than three per cent nor
less than one-haR per cent OF the
total, and that consideration should
be made for the county's interest in
road work, the mileage to be cou-
Str,icted and the difficulties to be.
met. In no case, however, could
the state pay more than one-third OF
the cost Of road improvement, the
county being responsible for the
other two-thirds and having the
privilege Of designating it's own
state roads, or those to be i'm
proved with state aid. An annual
appropriation of $4,000 was made to
defray the expenses of the highway
commission and the office of the
state highway engineer, which ap-
preparation was increased to $500
in 1909.
The Educational Work.
Owing to conditions of the law,
which provided that no money should
be available for road construction.
until the spring of 1907. the work
of the highway commission during
its first year was largely along ed
ucational lines and in the collection
CT statistics regarding road work in
the different counties. During the
next five years, however, the road
fund was available and much con.
structive work was accomplished. In.
1907 the total allotment amounted
to $5S,800; in 1908 the allotment was
s72.650; in 1909.s $74.090; in 1910,
S79,400; in 1911, $4,000; total
of. S360,240. the annual amounts to.
each county ranging from $500 to
$2100, according to the discretion of
the commission. All of the total al
lotment has not been expended on
state roads, however, the remainder
standing in the state treasury to the
credit of the different counties.
The Aid Granted.
At the end Of 1911, state aid had
been sranteu upon the following
amount of work; total mileage OF
roadbed improved and graded
600 miles: mileage graveled,. 1874
miles; mileage macadamized, SO
miles; mileage Of sand-clay road, ,
nilc.. tntaJ LENGTH ne natal and