The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-01-30

masses but of the classes. All this
they charge ana more while claim
ing that reasonable yearly FEEDER.
al contribution to each mile OF
road In the states which shall be
built and maintained in accordance
with specified standards would give
us $4,000 miles of improved roads
within year. and within FIVE years
one million miles, which, In a short
time, would grow into high class
roads .. ..-
The National Highways.
ION the other hand the advocates
OF national highways point to the
Ultimate OF the Office of public
roads, at Washington, that twenty
per cent of the total mileage OF
highways I'm. the United States
carry ninety per cent of the total
traffic. and argue that the greatest
GOOD 10 the greatest number re-
ouires that the roads which bear
the heavier traffic should be first
improved. They ask the govern
ment TO construct about fifty thou.
sand miles OF trunk lines that will
directly serve so per cent. and in.
directly Is per cent of our popula.
ton. connect the principal cities
and ports, and intersect every con-
sressional district In the country,
at it's expense and subject to its
control, and urge that the states
build secondary intra-state lines
and leave to the counties the build
ing of a third class OF roads. They
claim that the partnership plan by
which one gives money for the
work of another has not been sue
cessful, that 1t leads to graft and
corruption, conflict of management,
fails generally to produce good
roads. and results in awful waste
of opportunity and money. They
point I'm support of this to the gen.
eral abandonment of the old policy
of county aid, and the action OF
state after state in. turning from
the policy of state aid to that of
state construction and maintenance.
They compare Michigan with Mas,
sachusetts, the former until recently
with state aid. the latter with stae
construction. the former having as
was recently stated by Judge Lowe
of that state. hundreds of miles
OF good roads which begin no.
where and end nowhere, until II
looked from the map as II II had q
sort OF road smallpox while the
latter Is effectively covered by n net
work of good state roads. tRecent
Michigan legislation provides for
trunk line roads TO be built and
maintained by the state.)
National Highways.
THE advocates OF national high
ways contend that 1t win be with
good road building as II was with
railroad construction where the
trunk lines came first and were
quickly followed by short lines
that a system OF nationals highways
will result In systems of state high
TENS of county highways connecting
tens OF countyhighways connecting
with those Of the tstate-a threefolt
system with separate and distinc
functions for national. state and
county officers; that It will result
in intelligent organization. centra
lized power,Pfa direct responsible,
upon some one and accountable,
on the part of some commission II
authority. - B. e "..
These are some of the conten
tions of the respective schools o
thought as well as some of the com
pliments, they pay one another. !
the federal aid gentlemen are RICH
as to the motives aud purposes an,
the results of the plan of the nation
Ell highways gentlemen. then
want to be knight of the dir
road even at the hazard Of bein;
supporter Of pork barrel appro
! priations.' II the national highway,
gentlemen are correct, Il is sham,
J 10 delay their enterprise longer thai
may be necessary TO confirm thei
; views. .d..
When two gentlemen differ a
! to a fact. and later two lawyer
differ as to the fact and the Law
court and jury determines tn
issue. There were the advocate
OF the sea level and the lock cana
before the Panama commission de
J termlned in favor Of the latter, an
the country approved and now cor
templates the completion of tina
: great enterprise with pleasure an
[ pride. ..... ..
: National highways or federal aid
, Both vitality involve the welfare o
the people. Both involve the VI
innate expenditure of enormou
sums of money. The people mus
. ray them, Both involve many higf
ly technical questions the right dc
, termination of which is of vast cor
. sequence. Usually the government
/ has awaited itself of the work O
J. an expert commission before under
. taking any enterprise involvin
| large expenditures. Why not now
!. The National Highways associs
+ tion advocates the reference of thi
. great question TO an expert, MOI
= partisan commission that there ma