The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-01-24

! to know anything because every
body that comes along tells me how
to build the road" Mr.. Forbes re
ferred to the formation of the high
way commission, the adoption o.
the one-mill tax and the operation
of the Elevell law. The good road
plans adopted by the highway com
mission are being put into effect III
other states, which goes to show
that Minnesota is pioneer in the
good road movement. In many coun
ties the commissioners have no;
been educated up to the good roads
movement. He was pleased to say
that his remark did not apply tc
the commissioners in Blue Earth
county.
Difficulties Encountered.
! Mr.. Forbes smoke of the difficult
ties under which the highway com
mission labors. A few years ago
a good roads meeting was held in
Rochester. There were fourteen
people present. A reporter, in writ
ing up the meeting. said il was large
and enthusiastic. When asked why
he did so. the newspaper man re
piled that there was one large man
present and another one who was
enthusiastic"
The first good roads meeting was
held twenty-five years ago in st.
Paul. Many surveyors attended
They were enthusiastic and organ
lied an association which had as its
slogan better highways" These
n yninnnnrc of tho
good roads movement in Minnesota.
They maintained an exhibit at the
state fair and started The agitation
in favor of better roads.
Mr.. Forbes stated that at least
$3.50, 900 has been expended on
the roads in Minnesota to no pur-
pose. but now that the highway COM
mission has systemized the eXpendi-
ture of the moneys, greater bene-
fit was beirg derived by the people.
He advocated that all roads should
be improved under the direction of
the county surveyors. Also, that
county good roads associations
should be organized so that the peo-
pie could work as a unit.
The City Press.
c. f. Wise was called upon to
speak "On the Relation Of the City
Press and the Good Roads Move
ment." After cOngratulating the la
dies for the interest they displayed
in highway betterment, and praising
Mr. Madigan for his efficient SER
vices on the county board, he said:
Those who believe in publicity,
and by that | mean advertising, will
agree with ne that the press is a
NEST powerful 2gancy when employ
ed for or against any proposition to
which ii may devote its energies.
The opinion of those who differ with
me is hardly worth considering.
am speaking particularly of matters
that affect the public welfare and in
these remarks | desire that the word
city that is attached to my subject
be eliminated and all the press in
Guided. The city presH in itself
does not WELD that far reaching in
fluence in local matters as does the
press of the community most closely
affected in matters, say of road i'm
provement The reason for this is
obviCus-the last mentioned being
nearer in its associations and more
closely identified with the interests
CT those whom it serves than the
former. | will warrant that if the
city press were to advocate some
proposition which affected your To-
cal interests and your home paper
opposed that proposition, you would
almost TO a man support the posi-
ton OF your local paper, because
You know its editor personally an
believe him sincere in the position
he takes with reference to local mat
terS.
The city press has its field, how.
ever. and seldom does it try to in
fuence matters of purely local i'm
port. The good roads movement is
one about which there can be no
difference Of opinion-both city and
country press meet on common
ground in advocating measures that
have for their object benefits Gov
erirg a wide area. The one sees
the local benefits that will accrue
locally. the other the wider range of
possibilities that result TO the public
generally in such proposition.
"SCme years ago when the good
roads movement was in its infancy,
Mr.. George NJ. Palmer, one of the
pioneers and chairman of our local
committee, and whose work is ia,
miliar to you ALL gave me frequent
invitations to accompany him on
his missionary trips around Mankato
| had an opportunity to observe the
then condition of some of our high
ways and the methods he adopted
TO have them improved.
Mr.. Palmer believed in publicity
and he continually urged the press
OF MankatO to pound away on good
roads. No matter was too trivial
for his notice and invariably he in
sisted on giving credit to every man
who aided him in the work. Now
the press, | think III safe to say, be
lieves as thoroughly in good roads
as any and those of you who have
, been readers of Mankato papers will
agree with me when ! say that nc
subject has been more literally han
died and commented upon in oul
columns than that of good roads
Perhaps some of you have thought
the matter was being overdone bu
the large majority, l am sure viii
feel as We do that you cannot pusf
good thing along too much. And
we of the city press have no apology
to offer for the many columns we
have devoted to good roads boost
ing If possible we expect to boos
harder in the future than we have