The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-04-05


certain trunk line roads is paid by the
state. The principle. of state aid is
that the state contribute to road i'm
proyement out OF a general fund to
which all taxpayers contribute. The
fund does not come. from farmers
alone, but from all the people, and
especially from those that are more
abundantly able to bear the burden OF
taxation. \ great injustice has been
done The farmers of this country in ex-
pecting them alone to shoulder the en-
tire expense and responsibility OF
building country roads. The residents
of cities have signified q greater Will
ingness to contribute to this fund than
those who live in the rural districts.
not the fact that prac-
tically all the state aid laws prohibit
the use OF the money within the limits
of cities and towns. State aid tends TO
euualize the burden of taxation.
Every one who uses Il highway or
receives any benefit FROM it should con
tribute TO the cost OF its Improvement
The farmer is not the only one who Uses
the country roads or receives benefit
from them. They are also used by the
country merchant, the lumber dealer,
the itinerant peddler, the village doe
tor, the commercial salesman, by the
wheelman and the autOmobilist, and TO
greater or lesser extent by the en-
tire people. The city dweller cannot
live without his daily supplies from
the farm, and he must pay daily and
in cash the greater share OF all extra
cost attending their transportation.
Some Of the state highway depart
ments are operated on purely politi-
cal basis, and it very frequently hap
pens that the highway commissioners.
as well as their subordinates, are re
moved, from Office for purely political
reasons, no matter how efficient OF, COM
petent they may be. This is the most
serious defect in our state aid system.
Any law providing for state super.
vision and state aid should be so
framed as TO remove its administra-
ton as far as possible from fhe i'll
fuepce of partisan politics. A plan
that seems to be meeting with genera
approval is one which provides for Il
nonpaid. nOnpartisan and technically
competent commission that consists.
for instance. Of a professor OF civil EN-
cheering from one OF the leading uni
yersities or colleges of the state. the
state geologist and one civilian men,
Der to be appointed by the governor.
A commission thus constituted has a
majOrity of its members selected be-
Gauss Of their training aud ability and
without reference to their political af-
filiations. The civilian member APP
pointed by the governor should bring
to the commission the business ability
essential to the proper and economic
organization and prosecution of it's
work. At the same time. so long as
the governor could appoint only the
minority Of the commission and the
same being nonpaid. there would be
little inducement to make the position
one of political preferment.
The actual work OF state highway
department should be under the direc-
Mon OF one man possessing technical
qualifica lions. experience and execu-
tive ability. This official should be APP
pointed by the commission. He should
be civil engineer, skilled and expert
enced in road construction and main
. tenance. and his salary should be fixed
by the commission. His position should
be permanent. aud he should not be re-
moved except for incompetence or mall
feasance ip Office.