The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-03-15
LATTER DAY RoAoMAkiNG.

IulTeO ITlcnu, Mark L.. WliQeS, pfO
=, neer---a gentleman Of worth, one who
generally is on the right side of pub
lie questions. and in most cases he
has agreed with the comments made
by this paper. However, In the pres.
cnt Instance he dlsscnts. His letter
reads as follows:
Lake Vita Farm, March z, 1912
The Free Press: I have read In
the daily Of March your comments
on communication had on road mat.
tiers. Your communicate appears to
think that 1T is better to endure the
ills we have, than fly to others, that
we know not Of Your comments on
the article follow the vein of Presi-
dent Taft's. He says the people are
not fitted for popular government
Your criticisms would indicate that
farmers are not competent to make
good roads, but are fit for taxation
Your letter writer, like many others,
seems to fear that if road taxes are
paid in cash, that by the time it
goes through the hands of engineers,
experts, surveyors, superintendent,
inspectors, and other officers with
big salaries, there will be little left
for the roads unless the taxes are
assessed SO high as to be confisca-
tory Of the farms. AS about all our
roads now are located where the peo-
pie want them; but comparatively
little is needed done to put them in
now as they were fifty to sixty years
ago. Road making then was no
child's play. it took men with cour-
age to dare. and strength to do, to-
open roads, hereabout then. Re.
specially, yours for good roads,
Mark L. Wildes." -
It would be important if true
were it fact that President Taft
made the statement that "the PEG.
pie were not fitted for popular gov.
eminent" and it would be equally
as important if it were true that
The Free Press infatuated that the
farmers are fit only for taxation.
Such a thing was furthest from our
thoughts. The farmers are capable
of building permanent roads III
they are furnished with the plans
to work by. just as carpenters are
capable of building mansion, pro-
vidcd they follow tho plans drawn
by an architect. ... .
Nfy- nd ffsnnnonflU
he has complained-of the lack OF
system and competency in road con.
struction and repair, and why he has
changed front is something that We
cannot explain. Mr.. ,Wildes knows
full we'll that under the present
system of repairing the roads, many
thousands of dollars have been vast.
ed and frittered away in ruts and
mudholes. Why should such an un.
business-like state OF things be per- |
mitted to continue? This waste was /
not the fault of the men who worked !
on the roads, but rather to the defect I
i've system. Many roadways have been |;
temporarily improved through the
self-sacrificing efforts and ceaseless
labor of the farmers, and they are
entitled to q great deal of commen-
dation. No fajr-minded person will
attempt to take from them this
credit for work that was as well
done as could possibly be expected
under the unsatisfactory conditions
that prevailed.
However, in these days of reforms
in business methods and the rapid |
advances that are being made. i'll all
lines of endeavor, it does seem to
us that it would be the better part
OF wisdom and q saving of money
if a more rational system of road
making were put into operation. |
Highways certainly would be per-
bettered. and there need
be no fear of flying to the ills that
We know not Of" as no ills would
exist; and why suffer those which
now make the greater number of
public highways "hard roads to
travel?"
The Free Press is not ready to
believe that road taxes, if paid in
cash, would be eaten up by superin.
tendents, inspectors and other Of
ficials. No such complaint is made
by farmers in those communities
where the cash system has been
tried, and we regret that our friend
takes such "a pessimistic view OF
the question, something that is al
together foreign to his optimistic ma
ture. There could be no confiscation
Of farms, such as Mr.. Wildes sug-
gests, and we are quite surprised
that he should construct a DOGGY in
an attempt to turn the minds Of his
fellow farmers away from the adop-
ton of a system which could not
help but result in their benefit and
lasting credit and praise.
1t is true that courage was re-
quired by the men who bfazed the
roadways moro than fifty years ago.
Those sturdy pioneers are deserving
of a large measure Of praise for tho
great amount of labor they perform.
ed in breaking the way for the gen.
crations yet to be. In those days
the settlers built their own log
cabins in which they housed them
selves and families. But times have
changed. Today, these men and their
s..t:o, 49,, J;x;Nu IN, bOatSca fhati