Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-01-17
ANNUAL REPORT OF sUPERiNTEN.
DENT OF HIGHWAYS

Hannaford briggs County, enterprise
The County Supts OF Highways pre-"
senied his annual report which was on
motion. approved. The Board. in rccci'-
ing this report, took the occasion TO eS-
press it's appreciation OF tbs apiiitv anu
faithfulness of Mr.. LELAND IN the per-
Torrance of his duties and It's pellel, III
! spite of the fact that the law Is MADE
nuate AID difficult to administer, thht
the roads Of the county are in much bet
ter condition than they would have peeh
IL the old system had prevailed during
tho mast two years. Following Is me
report of che Supt. Of Highways:
To the Board of County commissioners
Griggs County, ~. Oak.
Gentlemen
As required by law l hereby submit
nv report as superintendent of highways
for the year 1912.
The road work did not the past season
go forward in all townships as smoothly
as could be desired. The easiest way
would be to blame the law and the sys-
TEN: but seeing the results in townships
where it had a fair show, that would not
De Elpllt. Ally ulSliilC ColS" INA''A
admit that the roads as a rule, bear a
different aspect now. from what they did
two years ago, and that we have tried
to accomplish some permanent good
and not only haphazard jobs so as to get
the road taxes worked out.
But then there are some things ehat
in my Judgment causes the trouble me
which | have been unable to overcome.
This is very likely my fault aud it is
therefore eaesily correc> ed as my term
Of office will soon expire; but it may be
of interest and maybe help to my success
sor to point them out. 1t is, in the first
place, next to impossible to get deputies
who will devSte their whole time for
four or five weeks to the road work. The
only available men are the farmers and
their appointments have to be approved
by the respective town boards. They
are, as a rule, tied up with their farms
and other interests, and if they try to
run the road work as n side show it is
no good. If they have several small
crews going all over the township and
the superintendent when he m
around finds the deputies off, maybe, on
a fishing trip. he cannot do much good
either. But even a deputy who means
business canno do much If he is not
given a chanc~. The farmers may in
sist on working near their w door. The
hates to quarrel with neighbors, so it
d~esignates, as is it's privilege, under tho
law, say twenty different roads to be
worked in the township. To accommo-
late himself to these requirements the
deputy has to oversee too small crews,
move his tools often, leave unfinished
work and spend double as much time as
if the work was more concentrated. When
he at last gets through after other
in his bill, he is very likely made to I'M
derstanu that it is pretty large. Who
is to blame? And he nay have other
troubles. One township last year levied
a fair sized tax, but when the tax pay
ers found that they had to do some real
work to have it paid, and on some large
farms it took, some time to do it, they
kicked up quite a row, and the deputy
resigned in disgust. This year he road
tax was lowered nearly Sone-half and
they got Through the road work quicker
any way. sr ''
If che law had been generally accept
ed ALI over the state and firmly estab-
lished, it would work better. Now it is
looked upon, as a kind Of local option,
and there is always somebody that can
not and will no he pleased and wants
to overturn it. g.
Aside Of such help and assistance as j
could give during the road working sea-
son, l have staked out such lines and
surveyed and plated such new roads as
nave been called for without any costs
to- the townships. ~.
For the county, hav been located and
superin.ended the building of one bridge
across the Sheyenne river in SverdruD
township and one across the same river
in Romness township, and grading for
approaches to- same were contracted for
and accented. ~
The other county bridges have from
time to time been inspected and except
ing the Ottawa bridge and the. bridge
near Lockason's place in Sverdrup town
ship which may need repairs mex sea-
son, found them in good condition.
"A road on IA section line, north and
south, through Section s Of Addie Gown
ship, was built under my supervision, as
also the. road on IA section line, north
and south, through Section "a, Coopers-
town township.
Grading for road on town line between
Section 5 of Broadview township and 81
of Sverdrup township was finished and