Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1913-01-17

moist and pliable. when not only
a better grade of work can be
done. ubt done more economical
ly.
In road building, as in every
undertaking. there must be a sys-
tem-a point of beginning, a
point of ending, and a general
course of procedure. We + can
not have system without. good. in
tellieent supervision. The Coun-
y Superintendent Of Highway2
office should be made a p@sInan:
ent office in every county in the
state. This Office should be filed
by man who is especially quail
fed for the duties Of the Office.
An effort should be made at this
session of the state Legislature. to
strengthen and build up the pres
ent law pertaining to the county
superintendent of highways sys-
tenn. -
- In the course of a few years
we will have state aid or a state
tax for highways, and we should
then have a state superintendent
Of highways. The stae should be
divided into districts and a dep
uty state superintendent be ap-
pointed to superintend the con-
slruction of roads and bridges
built by the state in that district,
and county superintendent of
highways and under him a dep
.uty county superintendent in an
organized township. This. with
a cash payment of all road taxes
and increased power and author
ity of the county superintendent
of highways. will give North Da-
kota good road laws that spell
GOOD ROADS.
am heartily in favor of state
aid in road building or state tax
'or road purposes. State aid is
an inducement for the improve
ment of the road system, stimulus
for the construction of permanent
roads, and is an equitable plan
for road building. Many por-
tions of the state without any, or
with few permanent roads would
go forward very rapidly under
definitely established plan for
state aid. If some policy were
definitely adopted whereby the
cost of making roads would be ap-
portioned between the community
county and state, in proportion to
the benefits received. a credit
able showing would be made with
out working hardship upon any
one. In no other way and by no
other means will successful road
building through the state ever
be accomplished.
State aid for road building is
based on the theory that good
roads are beneficial to all citizens
and all business Of the state and
therefor all should help to bear
the cost. 1t is for the general
public welfare. Good roads are
beneficial to alI-the country
man, the merchant and the farm
er. The food supply Of the towns
and the cities must be transported
over the public roads. The con-
ditions Of the facilities for trans
portation in a greater or lesser
degree effect the markets though
which it reaches every citizen.
Quick, easy and economical meth
DDS of transportation BY water and
rail is practically lost while the
short distance to the market over
the highways remains unimprov-
ed.
! Not only does the farmer use
the roads to get his produce to
market but the merchants need
them in order that the merchan-
disc may hauled out to the farm.
The theory that the farmer should
build the roads over which he
must haul his produce is no longe,
accepted. for with the same rea.
soning the merchant should build
them that he may get his merchan.
disc out to the farm. This is no,
merely farmers question. bu,
! matter that direct1v affects 9th.
: er lines Of business. Why, then, is
. it not a state question?
The argument against state aid
| for roads. that the property own.
ers of thickly inhabited district.
. and communities where they have
f efarliy good roads would help to
: make the roads in other localitie.
J is no argument, and certainly q
s very selfish view. Such an ar.
E gument, when carried to its logi'
> cal conclusions. would mean thai
: we abandon state aid to the pub
8 Continued on Page Five.