Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1916-08-17

be expected that any comprehensive
system of county roads could be
worked out through the medium of
the township boards. The plan
ming of a county's general system of
roads, and the construction and
maintenance of them should be un-
der the immediate direction of the
county. The same facts are true as
to the relation between the counties
and the state. North Dakota might
wait forever and not see a compre-
hensive system of state roads devel-
Op under county authority. This
point is especially we'll illustrated in
North Dakota by the various road
associations which have adopted and
improved certain roads throughout
the state, as portions of interstate
roads, such as the Wonderland Trail,
the National Parks highway, the
Yellowstone Trail and the Meridian
road. These roads have been put in
excellent shape for the most part
through the efforts of the different
associations.
There should be three classes of
roads in North Dakota, state roads,
which would be the main trunk lines
running through the state, suitable
for inter-county and Interstate traf-
fic; county roads, which would be
the main thoroughfares of the coun-
ty, connecting the principal towns;
and township roads, leading into the
main roads which lead to the towns.
With the increase in the mileage
of graded and turnpike roads with
in the state, the question of road
maintenance is becoming more and
more important. An earth road is
bound to go to pieces quite rapidly,
although it may be considered fair
ly permanent when properly cared
for A portion of the available funds
each year must be set aside by every
county and township board for the
express purpose of dragging the
turnpiked roads, for practically the
entire maintenance of an earth road
may be done with drag or light
push grader. If maintenance work
is not kept up the roads become so
rutted that it is practically as expen-
sive to repair them as it was to
build them.
The state engineers Office is great
ly interested in the good roads
movement and is always pleased to
cooperate with the various counties
and townships of the state in every
way possible. However, the lack of
funds available for work limits the
usefulness of the Office greatly.
North Dakota has not yet seen fit to
grant state aid in the building of
roads, and while a nominal highway
commission exists, it is without
funds with which to work and with
out any authority whatever and can
only act in an advisory capacity.
The state engineer is prepared to
furnish plans and specifications for
roads and to-s11s.Re road surveys and
furnish estimates of the work to be
done, and for such work it is re-
quired by law to charge the actual
cost.
During the past year the state en-
gineer has attended all of the good
roads meetings that he could, and
has done all within the power of the
Office to stimulate interest and to
promote better road building. He
has distributed number of road
bulletins, giving practical informa-
ton on how to deal with the prob
lens met with in road building in
North Dakota.
Governor L. B. Hanna designated
June 19 to "a inclusive as good
roads week, which resulted in a
considerable amount of road i'm
provement and proved very valuable
from an educational standpoint.
Results have definitely proved
that North Dakota's method of do
ing road work has not been econo-
mical or effective, and it remains for
the legislature to make such
changes in the road laws OF the state
as are necessary to put road build
ing in the future on a busiress ba-
sis
The federal aid good roads bill,
just approved by the president,
should be a strong incentive for
the adoption of state aid, and it is
believed that the next legislature
will take such steps as will be nee
essary to secure for the state the as
sistance of the federal government
At the present time practically all
of the roads and trails in North Da-
kota are in fair condition for travel,
Immediately after heavy
rains. The Wonderland Trail, the
National Parks Highway, the Vel
lowstone Park Trail and the Meri-
dian Road are all in first rate condi-
tion, and by making inquiries as to
the best roads the tourist can read
lily get to any point in the state
which he desires to reach.