Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1912-06-07
the ELWfLt5 ROAD LAW
MEANS EXPENDITURE OF OVER
@%5s $4,000, 900 AND. soMEyTHoR-
g OUCH HIGHWAYS

county in which the road lies: and
one-half BY the state, to be paid out
Of the state roads and bridges fund
raised by a one-fourth mill tax: It
provides that such road may be es-;
tablished by petition to county com:
missioners if the road lies wholly
within county and to the district
court if not. Petition is to be by six
or more land owners or by public
corporation like town board and is to
be accomplished by plans and esti-
mates Of cost. After approval by a
board Of viewers survey follows and
then bond issue by the county: Pay
ments are to be made in 10 annual
installments. Each county is limit
ed to a maximum of per cent of the
state aid fund and minimum Of one
half per cent. 49,
Thus state aid is provided for high.
way construction, which might other
wise have to wait for years, and state
highway commission supervision is
provided, as the highway must be
constructed under. the commissioner 3
rules, insuring permanent construction,
definite grade lines, safe bridges and an
absolute minimum Of 200 feet in traver-
sible width Of roadway. -" -.
i Means $6,700,000: for Roads. ::
Senator J: T. ElwelI Of Hennepin,
author of the law, was elated at the
decision. "We are now enabled,'', he
said, "with no increase of state taxes
to build $6,700,000 worth Of good
roads, and not increase the present
rate Of taxes Of either by the state or
the counties, and will actually save
Ito the counties half the money which
it has been heretofore necessary =. for
them to put In to get state aid. -:
"The law was made for the '>puf-
pose Of building the kind OF road
necessary to the needs Of any local
;ity. It furnishes to- the county build:
ing good road the money in one
lump sum to pay the entire cost Of
the road: The contracts are to be
let to the lowest responsible .bidded
and are supervised by the state high
way commission and by the county
board, so that the work is likely to
be properly and economically done: >~
"a large enough contract may be
let, at one time 50 that railroad OF
other large contractor would be in
terested in taking the work and with
modern machinery would be able to
do it with saving Of at least so
per cent to the county over present
methods, besides making a new road
as good as an old road, for immediate
use on completion.
"In addition to this saving there
is the further saving: of half Of a
county's. required payments to ATTAIN
state aid as the benefited property
pays that share. So by anticipating
the total fund for 10 years we have
"a good road with the privilege of pay
ing for it in way we will not feel.
Much good road can be built and still
fund Of the county.
"Here in Hennepin county it will
be possible to build this year $780,
900 under the provisions Of this law.
In northern Minnesota the benefits
will be inestimable. Some 1900
miles Of highway have already been
laid out there at cost of little
over $1,000 mile. This will open
up vast new territory and greatly
increase the value of property in the
northern part of the state.
"Good9 Why this decision is worth
more to the state Of Minnesota than
10 special session of the legislature. "
Advanced development Of upper
Minnesota is the first great result to
be expected from the enabling deci-
sion, according to George w. Cooley,
state highway engineer.
eve are highly gratified at the de-
cision, and will at once proceed un-
der the terms of the law,'' he said.
J. H. Mullen, assistant state high
way engineer, outlined the construc-
ton that has been awaiting the de-
cision of the high court.
cit will mean construction of 200
miles Of highway this year in north
ern Minnesota, - he said. "In Winona
county, and in other southern Mime
sofa counties. there is work ready to
begin. In Winona there is $4,000
in construction: all ready for the con-
zens Of Winona have subscribed $780,
on the property owners.
"In the vicinity Of the twin cities
efforts are making for obtaining state
aid. In this office now we have a
petition from Anoka county seeking
provision for constructor that will
be part of the international highway
to Duluth and International Falls. It
will mean gain of ten years in con-
struction of trunk highway in the
state. For example there will be the
Minnesota -International Falls high
way; the Deer River to Northome
highway: the Farley to Tamarack
River highway; the Brainerd to
Moose Lake, the Duluth to st. Vim
cent and the Duluth to Moorhead
highways across the entire northern
stretch of the state The upholding
of the constitutionality of the law
will be Of inestimable benefit to the
entire state Of Minnesota
Under the present arrangement of
state highway assessment under the
constitution, tax Of one-fourth Of
a mill is levied as a state tax. From
this there is provided this year
$4,000 as a state road and bridge
fund. Next fall the people will vote
on a constitutional amendment pro.
viding for full one-mill tax by the
state, for the roads and bridge fund