The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1912-02-23
BOB DuNN'S PROPOSED STATUTE
is TO TAKE PLACE OF ACT
FATHERED BY ELWELL.
COUNTIES ON EQUALITY.
Does Away With Assessment of Priv
ate Property-Said by Lawyers
to Be Constltu-
tional

TIC idSI Legislature ana TO overcome
some of the objections to that bill,
has been framed by R. c. Dunn of
princeton, author of the 1-mill tax and
other road bills, and was outlined by
him last night.
The trouble with the Elwell act is
that it is unavoidable, even if it is con-
stitutional, which many doubt" said
Mr.. Dunn. Another big trouble with
II is that the northern counties have
made so many applications for state
aid under that law that the southern
counties fear they will not get their
just share, and on this account it will
endanger the adoption of the 1-mill
tax amendment at the election next
fall
My bill, first of all, would amend
the present law so that the minimum
to be given any county from the state
road and bridge fund will be per
cent, instead of one-half of / per cent
as 1t is now. AS there are eighty-six
counties in the state, that would leave
IA per cent of the fund to be divided
among some of the larger counties,
like Stearns, Ottertail and others, that
are most deserving of state aid.
Provides Two Methods.
THE bill does away with the assess
ment OF private property provided in
the Elwell law. 1t provides two meth
DDS OF building road. The first is
who're two or more townships decide
they want a road. A petition of 20
per cent of the freeholders of those
towns will be required, and then the
county commissioners request the
highway commission to survey the
proposed road and estimate the cost.
When the cost is ascertained the
towns, at the annual election or
special election, may vote bonds to
pay 20 per cent of the cost which they
will be required to pay. They will be
payable to the county and may run,
say, ten or fifteen years. The county
then issues it's bonds for the whole
amount, the state to pay the county so
per cent of the cost and the county to
pay the remaining 20 per cent.
"Supposing the cost of the road is
100000. The state would pay the
county $4,000 for period of ten years.
II the 1-mill tax is adopted each
county would get at least $4,000 a
year, which would leave $1,000 for
roads in other parts of the county
AS the county pays for this road by
bonds it would leave the county road
and bridge fund to be used for later
ais and other work.
ION the other hand if road is
going the entire length of
the county, the county may assume
the whole cost and pay so per cent,
while the state pays so. Where the
county pays half, the matter would
have to be submitted to all the voters
in the county, but where the county
only pays one-fourth the county board
can issue the bonds when the towns
have voted to issue their share.
Directs Sale of Bonds Held by State.
Another provision of the bill is that
it authorizes and directs the state
board of investment to sell, as fast as
needed, the bonds of other states now
held by our trust funds and loan this
money to the counties at per cent
The state holds about $6,000,000 of
these bonds now and gets an aver
age of about 3h per cent. 1t would
get per cent from the counties and
have just as good security. and the
bill provides that these bonds of other
states shall not be sold for less than
par and accrued interest.
This bill does not affect private
property as the Elwell bill does, and
| have conferred with the attorney
generals department and other law
yers. and they say it is constitutional
beyond doubt. The bill will make it
possible for every county to have one
or two roads traversing it's entire
length in about two years. The bill
will require that they be rock or
gravel surfaced and also that they
shall be continuous. The bill also linn
its the Indebtedness which any county
or town may incur to 10 per cent of
the assessed real estate valuation.
while the Elwell bill did not fix any
limit.
The state will deal only with the
county and will be fair to all of them,
because each county must have its 1
per cent of the fund. No law on earth
can compel all the counties in one
stretch to join in building a road from
St. Paul to the northern border for
instance, but with these roads all
over, they will naturally connect any,