Devils Lake weekly world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1914, 1912-04-26
Official Paper of Ramsey County.
GOOD ROADS.

OpteO III Sucn construction II the pres
ent plan is not as good as could be i'm
agined, remains to be seen, however
this, does not do away with the neces-
sity Of improving the roads.
The plan Of a tractor and drags such
as suggested to the county commission
ers and for which $3.50 was appropriat-
ed, is only one method that has been
suggested. Perhaps some other meth
cd is better, but whatever it is The
World does not know Of it; however,
pleased it would be to have better
roads leading to Devils Lake.
From standpoint of economy no
better method could be suggested than
the tractor and drags, even though it
appears to be expensive to Alderman
Harris, who at the city council meet
ing last night figured that the plan sug-
gested would cost $2S per day. suppos-
ing it did cost $2s per days What plan
could be suggested that would make a
clean sweep of the county and improve
the roads that would be less than that
amount9 Teams and men would not
do it for less and could not do it as
we'll.
Some hitch lies in the fact of the
permanency Of the improvement of the
roads this year. How permanent would
it be if the tractor and drags would so
over it? To make dirt road perma-
nent is almost impossible. The best
that can be done is to improve it.
Would it be wise not to improve it sim
ply because the improvement would not
be permanent
Only one method Of permanent i'm
provement could be suggested. Gravel
the roads Of the county is the only
method. If there is any source from
which money can flow to undertake the
graveling of the entire roadbed lead
ing into Devils Lake and over Ramsey
county, The World says go ahead, but
the fact that this expense is so great
as to make it impossible, is no reason
why the roads should go by default I'M
til such an amount can be raised to
permit crawling.
The stuff for making good roads in
Ramsey county the equal of any in the
state is in the dirt. The dirt road is
not apt to remain in shape as long,
!. boz vhen 1t Is In shape the dirt road is
more to be desired by the traveller
over the road than the gravel thorough
fare. Let us therefore, make the best
Of the matter by improving the dirt
road.
At the council meeting last evening
the matter Of paying 5000 on trac.
ton engine with the idea that unless
the balance, or 5000 more, was paid ty
the city, county or good roads associa-
ton, the engine would not become the
property of either Of the three organic
ations, was held up as reason for not
accepting the proposition. To The
World it looks that even though the
tractor reverted back to its original
owners the 5000 invested would be
we'll spent in the improvement Of the
roads.
Again, to purchase the engine after
the first year it would take 5000 more,
yet the engine has deprecated twenty
five to thirty per cent during the year
it has been in operation is another ar
gument against the plan.
What investment could be made in a
traction engine where cash was paid
that could be any less. The deprecia-
ton would be the same. Any farmer
that buys tractor expects it to de-
preciate and yet is willing to accept
a tractor on terms that are not one
half as good as the proposition sug-
gested for the improvement of the
roads. If the farmers could buy trac-
tors on the same basis as offered nj the
road proposition, few would be without
tractor.
After the first year, however, with
the tractor reverting back to the orig
inal owner, when the time would come
for again going ,over the roads, The
World believes that the same organiza.
ton would willingly invest another
5000, SO satisfied would it be that it
was the only method to improve the
roads. All would be willing to take
the deprecated engine back on the job
at the same price and not hesitate be-
cause they did not own it. On the 9th
er hand, we believe that after the first
year another 5000 would be invested
regardless of the depreciation, and If
the money was not forthcoming there
would be many who would take it up-
on themselves to keep up the good
work.
The World believes in good roads. It
is willing to accept any suggestions or
better suggestions than the one now
before the people for the establishment
Of good roads. Much has been said
through the columns Of this and other
papers over the state about good roads,
ard when the subject and plan was
first suggested to the county commits
sioners for which they appropriated
$3.50, it was picked up over the entire
state. Cavalier county followed the
example. Grand Forks county is con.
sidering it and have passed the word
on to their neighbo1s. On the face of
It, it looks good and since the wealth