Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1913-06-20
MINNESOTA ROADS TO
BE PRIDE OF STATE
PRESENT STATE ROADS TO
BE REVISED.

BE REVISED.
Dunn Law Provides for Expendi-
ture of $3,OOO,OOO During
Next Two Years. State High
way Commission VIII Provide
General Scheme for Contin-
uous Highways.
Minnesota. which Jagged behind in
the good roads movement for many
years, has come rapidly to the front
within the last half decade. and the
prospects are that within the next
five years she will take place at the
forefront of states in this repsect.
Up to 1905 there was no systematic
good roads movement in the state. In
that year, however, with the creation
by the Legislature of the state high
way commission, the work began, and
has been continued with increasing
zeal since. each succeeding Legisla-
ture giving the movement boost.
STATE TAX INCREASED.
When the commission was created
a state tax levy of 1.20 of 1 mill
sroc Dvo1;Jo5 fo~ n rvoporol e+ok,, wood
fund. In 1911 the Legislature in
creased this to I of a mill, and passed
the Elwell good roads law; and at
the last session the Dunn law, in
creasing the tax to 1 mill and chang
ing the proportion of payment by state
and county. was passed.
Under the Elwell law certain roads
designated by boards of county COM
missioners. upon petition of property
owners. and with the approval of the
highway commission. were to be i'm.
proved, the state paying one-half the
cost out of its road fund. the county
ne-quarter and the owners of pro-
perty benefited the remaining one
fourth. Under this law so far only
four roads, three in Winona county
and one in Pennington county. have
been improved although several pro-
posed roads in other counties are be-
fore the commission for final approval.
STATE TO PAY MORE.
Under the Dunn law roads are to
be approved in the same manner as
under the old law. but the state is to
pay 80 per cent where the property
valuation is under $5.OOO,OOO. 70
per cent where the valuation is 3d.
OO0,00O and over and under $40, 900, :
900; so per cent where the valuation
is $40, 900, 600 and over, but under
SIS, 900. 900, and so per cent where
the valuation is SIS, 600, 600 or over.
Under the Dunn law it is expected
the fund raised during the next two
years will be 81. 800. 1000 annually.
Of this sum per cent or about $45, :
900, will go to each of the three
large counties, Ramsey, Hennepin and
st. Louis; 1 per cent, or about SIS. :
600, will go to each of eighty three
counties: and 8 per cent, or about
$12O. 900. will be turned into the gen.
eral road fund. The law provides that
one-fifth of this money given the
counties must be spent on mainten-
ance, one-fifth may be spent on roads
not state roads, and three-fifths on
state roads.
PROBLEM FOR COMMISSION.
There are 80. 600 miles of road in
the state, according to George W..
Cooley. secretary of the highway
commission, and state engineer. OF
these one-half are post roads, and
about 16, have been designated as
state roads. This large mileage OF
state roads has raised a serious pro-
blem for the commission, says Mr..
Cooley. Many of them have been
designated without regard to any
system of procuring continuous high
ways connecting various counties,
and it would be impossible. as we'll az
impractical, to improve them all. as
they stand.
The first 81, 800, 900 will not be
allotted until the first Tuesday in
March. 1914. to be available August
/. that year, and before the first
mentioned day. explains Mr.. Cooley,
the commission will work out gen.
eral program of road Improvement tc
coHsr q period of several years. The
new law allows the commission, with
the approval of the board Of county
commissioners, to abate any state
road, and it is proposed to use the
pruning knife vigorously in cutting
down the total mileage to aboct