The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-05-23
Trust Concern Could
Handle Highway Fund
SUMNER N. LADD.

May II, in the interest of the Min
nesota Valley highway project, have
been awaiting the arrival in this
city of Governor Eberhart, who has
been speaking in the east He is
now expected here on Saturday of
this week. The last heard from him
he was at the Lake Mohank confer
ence in New York state, and would
undoubtedly arrive here the last of
the week. On his arrival the three
Minnesota men will go over the road
matter with the department, in the
hope of reaching some agreement.
AS Washington dispatches have in
dictated, the project for federal aid
in the Improvement of public high
ways in Minnesota received an adj
.ditional boost through the govern
ments tentative proposition in lieu
of the former offer, to increase the
amount of federal aid to $4,000. In
the original proposition the govern
ment offered $4,000 on condition
that the state or local communities
double the amount. Recently how
ever. the postoffce department an
nounced that it had been deemed
necessary to make other arrange
ments The new arrangements con-
template the withdrawal of the offer
to all states that have not met the
requirements on April q, 1913, and
letters have been addressed to the
governors of such states advising
them definitely to this effect.
Governor Eberhart was asked, in
! the letter from the postmaster gen.
eral, whether the state of Minnesota
would care TO consider a proposal to
furnish double the amount of an al
] lotment of not more than $4,000 to-
ward the improvement or construc
ton of roads on which one or more
| rural delivery routes are in opera
ton, and, if so, whether the states
contribution would be at once avail
able. The governor was further
! asked whether he would select OIL
cause to be selected the road or roads
| that would apparently serve the de
sired purpose. 1t will thus be seer
| that the road project is thrown
open again, and that the designation
of the route on which it is proposed
to expend federal money is up tt
/ the governor as it was in the frs
instance.
Messrs. Cooley and Hohmann have
been most active all this week, con
ferring with the departmental heads
and getting a line on the situation
They have secured all the informa
ton possible of any value to then
in the present emergency, and the.
now await the arrival of Goyerno
Eberhart His arrival here will un
doubtedly bring the matter to
head, and result in speedy dec
sion.
Mr.. Hohmann is exceedingly or
timistic as to the outcome. II
brings with him the credentials O
the various bodies which have al
, thorized sums of money for the Ell
terprise. In his interviews with tn
DEPARTMENTS heads, he states tina
they look with favor upon the higi
way project, and that they hav
given him to understand that tn
government is willing and anxious t
go ahead with the work, if the
can be assured that the arrange
ments at the other end will be sa
isfactory to the government.
While Mr.. Hohmann is Optimisti
, as to the outcome and proposes t
remain in Washington, and fight
|, out all summer if necessary" he b'
lieves that some scheme should b
devised at the other end of the pro-
er assembling and handling Of tn
i, various sums of money. He su:
gests that a way out of this appa
: ent difficulty might be the organic;
ton of a temporary trust compan.
. clothed with ample authority to r.
r ceive funds and pay them out, as tn
o work advanced Unless some sue
arrangement is made, he is of tn
!. opinion that the government will M
feel justified in letting a contrac
o However, he believes that this pc
|. sible obstacle can be readily rem
Q edied, and when he returns to Nil
Q nesota steps will probably be take
r toward the organization of som
c such company as outlined
Mr. Hohmann believes that til
governor will redesignate the Mi
nesota valley road to receive tn
federal aid, although there has bee
: some talk that an effort might
made to get the government to di
l. tribute the $4,000 on both the va
n ley route and the one known as tn
j. Dodd road, further to the south, sd
3 in the ratio of $4,000 to the latte
l. and $4,000 to the former. HOY
r ever, there is q division of opinio
as to the feasibility of this plan fro
J. the governments standpoint, in tn;
# it is claimed that the money ca
S only be expended on continuol
e road.
O Given Another Trial.
el Glen Hutchinson, seventeen yea
q old, who was convicted in Stee
:, oounty of grand larceny in the fir