The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-05-17
GOOD ROADS BUILDERS
ARE GIVEN A BANQUET
Following Fine Feast Number of
Addresses Delivered.
From Tuesdays Daily.

! The good roads committee of the
Mankato Commercial club gave this
| banquet for the town supervisors of
eleven townships, the road overseer,
county commissioners, presidents of
| the good roads clubs in those town
ships and the district highway engi-
neers.
The second fourth division of the
Ladies' thimble bee of the First Bap-
! fist church, with Mrs. A G.. Hedberg
and Mrs. c. o. Daily, at the heads,
| did the serving in most satisfac-
! tory manner. The tables were beau
tifully decorated with lilacs The
! following menu was servesd:
Shrimp Soup, with Sailed Waters
Roast Beef
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Baked Beans Peas in Timbales
Buttered Rolls
| Radishes Pickles Jelly
Coffee
! Pumpkin Pie and Whipped Cream
Given BY the Club.
The banquet was given at the ex-
pense of the Commercial club and
is only another form of advertising
the efficient service rendered by it
to the people of Blue Earth county.
! The Commercial club of Mankato is
probably as active an organization
for the boosting of it's community as
any in the state.
At the conclusion of the banquet,
e. F.. Soaring, the secretary of the
Commercial club presided in the alb
sence of the president and vice pres
ident. He warmly welcomed the
guests Of the club, and regretted
! that the threatening weather may
have kept a few away. 1t was in
such wet seasons as last fall and
this spring that the advantages of
good roads are most appreciated.
He said that Mankato largely de.
pended for it's prosperity upon the
prosperous conditions that existed
in the surrounding country; while
the farmers depended to a great ex-
tent upon the local markets, and
needed roads that could be used for
hauling at any time With better
roads, the ties that bind the city ard
country intermnigled more freely in
the country as well as city
Proud Of Farming Country.
| Mankato is proud of the surround
ing farming country and commu-
nifty, and is boosting for it all it can.
| The Mankato Commercial club was
the first in the state to assist the
farmers to improve the roads, and
it is preparing to do SO on a larger
scale, but wants every dollar that is
spent to show results.
The guests were here to partake
of the hospitality of the Commercial
club, and it was opportune that the
district engineers met at the same
time, as ideas might well be ex.
changed, and a little time spent in
discussing the best methods of Sc.
curing better roads would be well
spent. There was no more impor.
tant subject before the people today,
| and the agitation for good roads is
nation wide. The men here present
were the ones directly responsible
for the condition of the roads in
their respective localities, and this
was a responsibility that was be.
coming greater year by year. as bet
/ ter things are expected and demand
ed. In improving the roads, two
| things have been found very effect
i've and not expensive, graveling and
| dragging.
During this afternoon Senator
| James T. Elwell spoke before the
| good roads experts at Knights of
Columbus hall, explaining the law
| which bears his name. He said in
| part:
| "The Elwell road law was made
| for the purpose of building the kind
OF a road necessary to the needs of
any locality. 1t does not prescribe
an particular method of building
roads any amount which shall be
expended on roads. 1t does, how
ever, provide for enough money to
build good roads in any county OF
the state. The provisions of this
law are very simple. Under it the
state pays one-half the cost of any
good road, the county one-quarter,
and the benefited property the other
quarter, each paying this in ten
equal annual installments. The coun-
ty is given authority to sell certif-
] icates of Indebtedness payable in
from one to ten years with the low
est rate of interest obtainable. The
state then comes in and pays it's
one-half in ten equal annual pay
ments and the county provides for
it's One-quarter to be paid in ten
equal annual payments and the bene-
fitted property pays its one-quarter in
| ten equal annual payments when
other taxes are due and payable.
| Features of Road Law.
Zone of the principal features of
this road law is that it furnishes to
the county building a good road the
money in one lump sum to pay the
entire cost of the road. Under this
| bill the roads are let to the lowest
responsible bidder and are super
vised by the state highway commits
sion and the county board, SO that
| the work is likely to be properly