The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1913-04-29
By G. w. Allyn, of Madison Lake

Oughly organized, anu CdIIicu oue
Systematically, is absolutely necessary
to get the work done for what it is
worth and at the same time pay so
that men that want to work and earn
their money can get good wages.
We hear much about "CONSER-
WALTON OF LABOR" but in no
business that know Of is it so neces-
sary as road building.
Enough energy and labor has been
wasted in the last ten years on our
roads to make every highway in
Minnesota a good road, had it been
rightly systematized and applied.
We have demonstrated this winter
that gravel and sand can be hauled
under proper management, with proper
equipment, for just ONE-THIRD the
cost under "haphazard management"
and still the laborers got getter wages.
The first thing for town to do is
organize and appoint committee.
This committee should first raise all
the cash they can in the town, then get
the County Commissioners interested,
then the Town Board, then go to the
farmers along the road, and most of
them will not only be glad to work
out their next years tax on the road
now, but will also donate several days
hauling, and many that do not own
farms will donate work. Then we
pay the cash for work to those that
have already donated. We do not
hire any help that has not donated,
therefore all our help is interested in
the road, and are willing to "boost it. :"
We have made rule here, not to
pay cash to any man more than
three times the amount of his donat-
ion. If he has donated five days haul
ing, we will pay him $4,000 for fifteen
more days hauling, or for every load
he donates we pay him for three
others.
1t is best to concentrate all work
on one main road at first, and finish
it through, this road will be such an
"object lesson" that next year, farm
ers on all other roads, for miles around
will "get busy" on their roads.
Our method of hauling in the whit
er, where sand must be hauled any
great distance is best, because that
&c hn hn fcv. oil
the road can haul, and are anxious to
haul, both to improve the road, and
also earn some ready cash besides the
amount they donate.
Some one man should have a gen.
eral supervision of several miles of the
work, whose duty should be to see
that all crews are properly equipped
with the necessary tools, and that one
workman among each crew is appoint
ed as foreman of that particular crew
and that this foreman has a '.time
book" and that he keeps an accurate
account of the exact time each man
comes on the work in the morning
and the time he quits and the number
of loads he hauls, and just where each
load was placed.
All these records are very necessary
both in determining what portion of
the work has been donated, and how
it has been done, as we'll as in fixing,
the prices per load on all distances of
haul.
The man in charge of the general
work should frequently visit all crews
and all work, and see that the work is
all being done properly and that the
records are properly kept by the fore
man, in fact see that all foremen do
their duty well.
White rags with a nail driven
through them into the ground should
be placed every few rods exactly in
the center of the road to guide the
transfers in keeping their dumps ex-
actly in the center.
We are frequently asked why we
commence this work backwards
we haul any gravel until the road has
all been properly graded. There are
several reasons for this. First, on
the principal that "God helps him
who helps himself" The state will
not furnish the cash until assured
the other part is being done, and the
grading cannot be done in the winter,
when the gravel can be hauled, and
will be hauled by the farmers, at less
than half the usual expense of the
summer haul. Then on most of the
great thorough-fares that are now
state roads, the most of the work is
ITO grade" in the center, where the
gravel goes and it therefore need not
be stirred again to widen the dumps,
or to make the proper bitches for
drainage, and therefore most of the
way the gravel can be placed to stay.
On hills that must be cut down, or on