The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-04-27
10 the Times:

10 the LILIES.
Your issue of April S contained a
local article referring to the county
highway superintendent system with
the head lines as follows: Claim Su-
pervision by Counties is Not Good"
Road Work Under Direction of Sin
gle Superintendent crowned Upon
This article stated that the Grand
Forks county commissioners had de-
cided not to appoint a county SUPER
intendent of highways and were in
f1uenced in their decision from the re-
that adopted the system last year,
their understanding being that the
system had not proved, in these five
counties, to be any improvement over
the old system. This article was
widely copied by the state press and
as 1 believe 1t to have created a wrong
impression regarding the system. ]
am taking the liberty to ask you to
publish this letter. The facts con-
tanned herein r being given only
after full investigation.
First. Every county superintend-
emit Of highways who was appointed
last year has either been reappointed
or is holding over. The law provides
as follows: 1.-THE board of county
commissioners may at its first regular
meeting after April 1. 1911. and BIZ
ennially. there after at its first regu-
lar meeting after January l, appoint
a competent engineer or practical
road builder. who may or may not bs
the present county surveyor, who
shall be known as the county super
compensation shall be fixed by the
county board" "He shall hold office
for two years OF until his successor
is appointed and qualified"
If the counties in which county SUI
~perintendents of highways were ap.
pointed last veal were not we'll sat
isfied that this system of doing road
work was better than the old method
It is reasonable to suppose that the
system would be dropped.
Second. Every report that l have
been able to obtain from these coun-
ties shows hat the system has al
ready proven itself to be far better
than the old.
Mr.. Plomasen, county superintend-
of highways in Billings county, states
that out of a population of $1,000 he
knows only one man who is opposed
to the system.
The superintendent who were ap-
pointed last season are as follows:
Burleigh county-John Ecklund,
Wilton.
Griggs County-Martin A. LELAND,
Dickey county-sol Hunter. Cakes.
Stark County-W. r. Veigel, Dick
inson.
In Billings, Griggs and Stark coun-
ties the appointees are the county
surveyors and knowing them person
ally ] can say that they are able. con-
roforti4,,o orH ofHnfonf man. the 9TH
er men / am not personally acquaint-
ed with. but from the fact that they
are obtaining better roads for the
money expended than they were uRr.
der the old system leads me to believe
that they are good practical men. AS
in any position of trust. much more
depends on the man selected for the
position than on h law under which
he works: Especially is this true In
Highway engineering has only re-
Gently became acknowledged a Sci
ence in this country, and good prac-
teal highway builders are scarce all
over the United States, and this is es-
pecially true in North Dakota and
the other younger states. With the
county superintendent system in ef-
feet only one year. it Is very crafty
ing to learn, that with all h opposi>
tion that naturally arises when a new
system Of highway work is inaugural
ed, the system has proven itself to
be correct in principal and has shown
itself to be an economical business
proposition the first year.
I am sure that any practical. hon
est and conscientious man who may
be appointed as county superintend-
ent Of highways. who will keep him
self free from political alliances and
endeavor to be fair with the county
commissioners and the people. will
make such a showing in n year
that the people of the county will
not consent to go back to the old
system.
One thing has been c%onclusively