The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1914-01-22
ROADS FOR
LITTLE MONEY
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HAVE
OPPORTUNITY TO DO GOOD
ROAD WORK
SHOULD USE MONEY N THE AUTO FUND
BY Purchasing Some Road Machinery
the Money In the Fund Would
Build About so Miles Of Road

One Of the subjects that now
confront the county commissioners,
is how to proceed and expend the auto
mobile tax SO as to get the best results
for the money. II the money is wisely
expended the automobile tax will
prove to be of great benefit to Brook
ings county In actual road construc-
ton, for splendid results can be OBJ
tanned with a small sum of money II
properly expended. II on the other
hand the commissioners adopt a
penny wise" policy, the money will
be sQuandered, with the result that
the automobile owners will become
disguised and may combine and defeat
the further operation of the law.
Through a careful anvas among
the automobile garages we found that
the automobile owners. as a rule. do
not object to paying the tax. provided
the money is expended so as to get
results, but they do object to paying
this tax II it is to be wasted or is to
accumulate In the county treasury.
Prof. Solberg has given the road
proposition several years Of careful
study and attention and he Is willing
that the people shall have the benefits
of his experience and knowledge. In
order to assist the commissioners in
formulating plans that would greatly
improve the road conditions in Brook
ings county. he appeared before the
board at their meeting last week and
presented his plan, which Is substan-
TALLY as follows:
There Is now a balance in the coun-
ty treasury Of n thousand dollars
from last years automobile tax. The
tax for this year will be from fifteen
hundred to two thousand dollars more.
All this money will be available In a
few weeks. This money must be ex-
pended under certain restrictions,
such as road grading, dragging and
SO on.
Now in order that this money can
be expended judiciously and in differ
emit parts of the county, he proposed
that the county purchase a substantial
traction engine, n elevated steel
grader, one common road grader and
a couple of small graders with some
smaller tools, the complete outfit to
cost less than four thousand dollars.
Further that the commission employ
a competent set of men for the eason
Start the grading outfit just as early
as possible and keep them at work
until 1t freezes up in the fall. The
work to be done on roads designated
by the commissioners in their respec-
tive districts.
The cost of all labor, fuel and opera
ting expenses can be paid out Of this
automobile fund. But the machinery
must be purchased by the county.
BY this system anywhere from sixty
to one hundred miles of substantial
dirt grade can be constructed during
one season, depending upon the
amount of work done per mile. This
will enable the commissioners to get a
great deal of actual road construction
done in each district and II will not
cost the county but very little money.
For this machinery when operated by
competent men, will last a long time.
While the members of the board
admitted both individually and col
lectively, that this system was the best
possible yet they deferred action, be-
cause some Of them stated, that they
did not know how the people would
feel about II.
The fact Is, the people have spoken
once, when they adopted the new road
law by an overwhelming majority.
But it appears that the commissioners
do not understand that verdict. They
want the people to speak again. Hence
II the people Of Brookings county de-
sire to secure any road construction
whatsoever this season. they had bet
ter see the commission from their
own district and let them know their
opinion before the next meeting of the
board. or this splendid opportunity
may be lost. This two thousand dol
lar automobile tax In Bookings oun
ty is a pure donation by the automo-
bile owner to the u of good roads.
The special tax must all be put on
the roads outside Of the. city limits,