The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1916-10-26

state road No. in the town of Green
bush, $4,000; for that part of state
road No. 5 in the town Of Milo, $4,000;
for that part of state road No. 4 in
the town of Greenbush, $4,000; for
that part Of state road No. 4 in the
town Of Princeton, $6,OOO. ~ ~
This is a fair distribution and cares
for every part of the county.
Under whose supervision will the
money be expended? At least $780,
900 will be expended under the joint
supervision of the State and Federal
road authorities, and it will be a rigid
supervision, too. The other $4,000
will be. under the supervision Of the
State Highway Commission, and next
year the state will exercise super
vision that will supervise. There must
be value received for every dollar ex-
pended, and slip-shod methods will
not be tolerated. We have the per-
sonal assurances, of the members of
the Highway Commission that there
will be no lack Of proper supervision.
The permanent improvement of
these roads will benefit every section
of the county Surely it is not neces-
sary to set forth the advantages of
permanently improved hard-surfaced
roads to all classes Of the community
and especially to the farmers?
Sooner or later these state roads
must be improved, for the state is Civ
ing liberal aid and will insist upon
results being obtained, but under the
present piecemeal patchwork system
we are afraid it will be so ''later" that
some of us will be long time dead
before the improvements are made
Here is an opportunity to secure the
improvements within one year from
this time and have the State and Ma
ton defray half the total cost. Can
the intelligent, thinking voters of
Mile Laos county afford to turn down
such a proposition when, as. we have
plainly demonstrated, it will not be
necessary to increase the present tax
rate for county road and bridge pur-
poses a fraction of mill?
You who do not live on the state
roads also should realize that the
great bulk Of the state and county
road and bridge funds is expended on
these state roads now and will con-
tinue to be expended upon them, under
the present system, for many years
to come without attaining any perma-
nent uiss, and in the meantime the
lateral roads are shamefully neglected.
If the present state roads are perma-
nently Improved next year, then and
henceforth the larger share of the
county and state funds can be expend-
ed on the lateral roads, or new state
roads can be established. There is no
reason why in another year the direct
road from Book to Princeton and from
Book northward should not be made
state road, nor is there any good
reason why another state road should
not run through the center of Green
bush and Milo, from State Road No.
4 to State Road No. 8, and every mile
Of State road on the east and west
sides of Mile Laos lake should be put
in good condition.
Once more we wish to make it clear
that, under the present system the
county commissioners will of necessity
continue to levy the maximum county
road and bridge tax annually, viz,
three mills, and they will never get
anywhere as far as permanently i'm
proved roads are concerned; but by
issuing bonds and reducing the annual
tax levy for county road and bridge
purposes we can secure permanently
improved roads now, and there need
not be the slightest increase in the
aggregate county road tax. In brief
the county tax rate need never be
any higher than it is at present, and
with proper management it will not.
There are those in the northeast
corner of the county who would like
to have the ballots designate just
where and on what roads the money
should be expended. It would be i'm
possible to do so. The only PROPOSE
ton to be voted on is the $75, 900 bond
issue. The amount it is proposed to
expend on permanent road improve
ments is $147,OO0: The Federal aid
must be expended on one continuous
stretch of the main north and south
road, and $4,000 will be required to
meet the Federal aid. The county
commissioners did the only thing they
could do when they extended the
agreement arrive at on the minutes of
their meeting as set forth above. But
our friends of the northeast concerned
have no fears; their interests will be
cared for without doubt. The aim is