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

yer know Use done plumb filled wi
cartridges.
| "But going back to the subject
of the country editor and the good
roads movement, There are various
kinds of country editors. Some are
doing. Some are a negative force,
others are positive. Some are pessi-
mists and others are optomists see
/ ing only the bright side of things,
thinking. doing and dreaming only
of the day when this or that road
shall be a paved highway or like
the streets of the New Jerusalem.
Some are conservative, others are
progressive. On the whole, however,
the country press must be given a
front seat in the booster row.. 1t
was r. c. Dunn, a country editor,
who fathered the best good roads
| legislation this state has ever known
and he is still working at the job
! to secure more of the same char
iacter. After securing the submission
' of the good roads amendment which
| will bring millions for our roads this
| same Bob Dunn and hundreds of
| other country editors contributed
column after column of space with
out hope or thought of conversation.
other than the good which must
come at all, with the securing of
, better highways.
Wherever you find a good roads
movement, if you will delve deep
and investigate the power, behind
| the throne, you will unearth the
fact, in nine cases out of ten. that
it is the press. 1t is the country
press that stands in season and out
for the upbuilding of the country
and there is no method which will
! advance the value of our farms and
bring about a greater degree of pros
perity than improved highways. The
waste of poor roads is appalling.
and the country and city press, as
well, are constantly published data
and statistics showing that we are
paying a tremendous tax for bad
! roads in the shape of lost time and
diminished loads. A sneaker at our
commercial club banquet one year
iaGO stated that our mud tax was in
the ncighborhood of 10000 per an
mum. Think OF such a tax on the
prosperity of a community like Map
Teton. An if our contribution to
, times that amount for the entire
county and beyond comprehension
for the state and nation. But thanks
to the publicity of the press we are
, waking up to the Importance OF inn
proved highways. Publicity is a
mighty power and the good roads
movement is going forward as never
before thanks not only to the cOun-
try press but to the constituents of
the press for it is the man who
reads and investigates that is in
reality the motive power of this old
world. Never before has the out
look for better highways been bright
er than it is today With federals,
state and county aid, the cause is
going forward on the double quick,
yet there remains much to be done
and until it is accomplished the
country press will continue to boost
for as one publisher has said, I'D
rather be a booster than knocker
any day; I'd rather tinge with hope
than dorl5t. the words have to
say Therefore: 80
IF the roads don't seem to suit you
And the whole world seems wrong;
What's the matter with a boostin'.
Just TO help the thirg along,
Cause if things should stop agoing,
We'd be in sorry light;
You keep that horn a blowing
Booster up with all yer might
Cast your loaves out on the water
, They'll come back, is saying true,
Maybe they will come back buttered.
! When some fellow boosts for YOU"
Suggestions BY Mr.. Holman.
John II. Hohmann, member of the
county board from the Mankato dis
trict was next introduced. He said
that Madison Lake was always doing
something in summer and
building good roads in the winter
He also was glad of the opportunity
to show his appreciation of Bob"
Madigan, who always favored the ap-
preparation of money for good roads.
AS county commissioner, Mr.
Holman wanted his hearers to
carry home with them two thoughts.
One was to adopt the cash system
of paying for road work and abolish
the old style road work. This latter
system is unjust and impracticable.
Not every pathmaster is good
| road builder, no matter how much
| he would like to be. Improving roads
| should be let out by contract. The
second thought was legislation should
| be enacted giving county commits
sioners more power The law should
| be so amended to increase the road
! tax to four mills so as to enable the
| commissioners to use the money on
| The hi@hwavs. Under the two mills
| tax but 100000 can be raised, basing
The fourrs on the valuation of $16,-
| 100000. The road fund of the county
is now overdrawn S25.000 II a
three mill tax were raised enough
money could be raised to wipe out the
overdraft and leave a snug sum in
J the treasury for road Improvement.
The increase would amount to an
additional tax of SO to every farmer
| in the county
| Mr.. Forbes requested that the sug.
gestions made by Mr. Hohmann be
| incorporated into a resolution and
sent to The highway commission.
| What Mankato Has Done.
| j. E. Reynolds spoke on What
Mankato Has Done For the Country
Roads" He called attention to the
work done by the Mankato Com
mercial club in favor of good roads
1