The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1916-09-29


in South Dakota
| had some time ago promised
to give the people Of Grant
county the result Of investi-
cation bearing upon the application
of the government appropriation for
roads as it will apply to Grant
county
The law appropriates SIS, ,O0o,-
600 to be used on Rural and Star
mail roads and $40, 100000 on
roads in and adjacent to govern
ment forest reserves making total
appropriation of SS5, 900, 900 for
the entire United States. South
Dakota's share of same according
to the best information that | can
secure would be about $6l2,500
which would be little less than
| $54O,5O for rural an star mail
roads and little over $4,000 for
forest reseve roads spread over
period of years. Which amounts
must be covered by an equal
amount appropriated by the State
through the legislature, or by the
individual counties of the state,
before any Of the same can be used
for any purpose, which appropria-
tions become our fund and is ended
upon the roads of the State that
may be selected by the state High
way Commission, and be under the
supervision Of the Secretary Of
Agriculture.
The legislature under our Consti-
tuition is prohibited from engaging
/ IN material Improvements and there
fore canno. avail itself Of this
national aid by making an appro-
priation to meet the same unless
the constitution is changed to
illuminate that prohibition as to
its application to road building.
A constitutional amendment was
submitted to the electors Of the
state at the special session. To
overcome his barrier if adopted by
the people. The amendment goes
farther than this and provides that
the state may engage in the mining
of coal on state lands and supply
ing same to the people of the state.
This amendment am informed will
be No. | or the first one on the bal
lot Of constitutional amendments
and it will be necessary for such
amendment to receive majority
Of the vote cast thereon to put it in
to effect, other wise no appropria-
tion can be made by the legislation
Should the legislation not be
permitted to make such appropora
tion by the failure Of the amend
,nent of the constitution then the
fund NAV be Us i. een any n4n1
ber of counties in the state provide
an amount equal to the amount of
the national which the state is
entitled to appropriation which com
bined amount can be expended Son
the roads under same supervision
as it would be did the state legisia-
tion appropriate the money. So far
as the appropriation Of the $75,
900, 600 applies to road building
the law is specific as to what class
| Of roads it can be used for and
limits it to roads over which the
United States mail is transported
And this led me to inquire how
many miles Of such roads we had
in South Dakota and | am inform
ed by the Post office department
at Washington that there was June
3Oth 1916. Rural routes 1926 and
and Star Routes 40, 80 miles making
a total Of o. 1862 miles In the state
upon which South Dakota's share
Of this fund would apply. ~
| also find from a careful en-
quiry that Grant County has of
this melage about 445 miles. l
also Investigated as to established
interstate highway on the county.
as some have contended that this
money can be used to build such,
and | find The Yellowstone Trail
has mllage Of SO miles in the
county of which 18A miles in five
separate strips is melage over which
the United States mails are trans
ported and upon those strips this
fund might be used, provided the
use is authorized by the highway
commissions and approved by the
Secretary of Agriculture.
| have attempted to give this in.
farmation in purely an unbiased
-. that you may figure out
manner hat benefit NAV
| for Yourselves ions anC
arise from such appr0pr,a.. a
that you may form a csrciusfer'
to the adoption Of the ebnst,.. utl.
I