The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1915-07-29
MAKE ROAD DRAG
GING COMPULSORY
bob" DUNN, FATHER OF BET
TER HIGHWAYS, WANTS
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
DEFEND STATEWIDE TAXATION
FORMER STATE AUDITOR DE-
LIvERS ADDRESS BEFORE
TOWNSHIP OFFICERS

| Failure to drag country roads after
rains will be made misdeameanor If
Senator R. c. Dunn of Princeton, au-
thor of the Dunn road law, can obtain
legislative sanction at the next ses-
sion. He told the members of Hen
nepin County Association of Town
ship and village officers that he would
punish the street commissioners of
Minneapolis also, if possible, for ne
glecting to use the drag, says the
Minneapolis Journal of Saturday
nigt. The meeting was in the as
sembly room of the court house.
~ am an old man, without political
aspirations" said Senator Dunn. "But
I am not too old to have hobby. My
hobby is good roads. The only monu-
ment I crave is that the people may
say I had some small part in giving
Minnesota the best system of roads
in the union, based on the best road
laws in this country"
Others who spoke in behalf of good
roads were C. B. Wadell, chairman of
the county commissioners; Senator
George Turnham, Representative
Thomas Girling and Alex. Mcneil,
former representative.
Senator Dunn defended the provis-
ions of the road law which levies
statewide tax of one mill for road
purposes. He said that while it is
true that the three large counties of
Hennepin, Ramsey and st. Louis con-
tribute A per cent of this state road
fund and get back only IL per cent of
it, the plan is the most satisfactory
yet devised. He said each of the sc
counties get at least 1 per cent of the
1-mill road tax as the state highway
commission is authorized to distribute
not less than per cent nor more
than per cent of the road fund to
any one county.
"The plan Of taxation is that those
who have taxable property shall be
taxed" said Senator Dunn, "and the
proceeds used for the general good.
The rural part of Hennepin county
pays a 1-mill tax on a $4,000, 900
valuation, or $4,000, and, by the 8
per cent limit on distribution of the
state road fund is allowed $4,000.
Surely the rural highways are of ben
eft to the cities, for they bring in the
produce to markets.
What I aimed at in drafting the
socalled Dunn road law was to make
it simple and workable. For that rea-
son, the law gives control of town and
county roads to town and county
boards. Why, the law is so broad
that it is made possible for town
boards to repair any defects in town
county or state roads within their
district and present the bill for the
work to the subdivision of the road
building authorities chargable for that
particular piece of road.
"Some of the rural districts seem to
have a fear that we have put too
much authority in the hands of the
state highway commission. tell you,
it is necessary to have some central
authority. We want good roads ra-
dating from the population centers
out into the county. Some one has
to plan them and supervise the con-
struction, if we are going to have any
system to our road building.
"Good Gravel Roads, rounded and
drained, are the roads we must expect
to use for many years yet in Mime
sofa. The so-called permanent roads
may come but they will come slowly.
We must pay as we go, and that is
just why the Elwell road law was re-
pealed. 1t permitted the bonding of
the people to pay in the future for
roads that would be worn out before
they were paid for.
"That we can't have concrete roads
to any great extent in the country dis
tricts for years is shown right here
in the city of Minneapolis. You
can't pave all the streets. The people
couldn't stand the taxes. So the thing
to do is is build gravel roads, or roads
crowned with crushed rock if you can.
"The maintenance will be small if
you use the road drag. You can't drag
a road that is hollow in the center. 1t
must be slightly rounded and then use
the drag to iron out the ruts and keep
it shaped"
Senator Dunn declared that AFTER
ial roads are essential but are next to
useless If the country roads that feed
them are impossible. He urged the
town and village officers to take pride
in the upkeep of the roads in their
districts and predicted that their ex-
ample would go far to making the
city authorities link up to their roads
with roads just as passable.