The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-01-18

know or no state which mas ueVeiOp-
ed its main lines of travel to meet
modern requirements without some
system Of state aid and state super
vision.
Another important factor is that
1t causes Incorporated cities and viii
lagos to pay q portion of the cost of
road improvement, consequently re-
ducing the cost to the rural units of
government to point where they feel
of construction on the better class OF
roads; the result being that these
roads are made capable of serving
adequately, not only the rural popula-
ton but the cities and villages which
are indirectly If not directly interest
ed in the condition Of these principal
arteries through which they must
draw their rural trade.
Present System Fails.
1.-THE trouble with the systems of
local control and local construction
has everywhere been that even where
a, piece of road was well built or well
maintained there was no guarantee
that the next mile of road would not
be utterly bad, and the usefulness of
the good piece almost wholly lost. Or
a township or County might do good
work, while the adjoining township or
| county destroy the full effect by a
policy of masterful inactivity or even
a worse policy of masterless activity,
and the principal reason why state aid
laws have been adopted lies in the
fact that only in this manner has any
state found 1t possible to insure the
construction of continuous mileage
Of road of anything like the same
character and adequacy. In order to
produce this continuity Of improve
ments there must exist well defined
spirit of cooperation between the
counties and the state The state
highway commission could not go into
the counties and arbitrarily spend the
counties money without the approval
of the county commissioners. On the
other hand the county board could not
sanction and approval Of the commits
sion. ..... .sa. ..se
Minnesota System. .
Perhaps the most distinguishing
feature OF the Minnesota law is the
section in relation to road mainten-
ance. This se5tton makes it the duty
of the county commissioners to main
tain. all state roads within the county
in accordance with rules and regula-
tons of the highway commission;
twenty per cent of the state aid allot-
ment with the due proportion of coun-
ty funds must be expended for that
purpose. The assistant engineer en-
ployed by the commission as district
engineer for the county recommends
a system to be adopted and upon de-
termination by the commission as to
method of work, they will authorize
the organization of a system under
the general supervision of the en-
gineer. State aid will not be paid I'M
less the maintenance has been defin-
itely approved by the engineer.
"Another feature As that all work
in regard to roads, bridges and drain
age must be under the direction Of a
competent engineer who lays out,
superintends and approves all work
before state aid is finally paid. This
trained superintendent of highways is
as much a part of the local govern
ment as the county treasurer, in fact
he is an adjunct to the auditors office
in all that pertains to roads and the
proper keeping of road records and
accounts"
Discuss Packing Plant.
With the adjournment OF the side
meetings late yesterday afternoon,
practically the entire attendance at
these sessions made it's way to the
general convention, filing the audi
torium with an interested crowd of
people who listened to the discussions
Of the Equity Packing plant that is to
be erected in Fargo this coming spring.
-. u.
operative packing plant at Wausau,
Wis, who was scheduled to speak yes
terday afternoon, was unable to be here
in time for the program and was placed
elsewhere in the convention program.
The principal speaker yesterday after
noon was M. e. Brooks, of Austin,
MINI.
Mr.. Brooks declared that the Equity
packing plant would do more to put
the city OF Fargo on the map than any
industry that could be established here
and he complimented this city on being
able to land this important manufac-
turing industry in which every farmer
of the state is interested.
He said that the town is ideally To-
Gated for such a plant and that the
industry will be the great factor in
making North Dakota a livestock
state.
Mr.. Brooks said that it is fitting that
the farmers of the state should own
this plant and that they were taking O
step in the right direction by prepar-
ing their raw material for the con-
sumner. He said that in the first place
there will be q saving of 50 commission
on each carload of livestock, a Sc ter
minal charge and So to $40 feed
charge. He said that the saving of these
charges will not only give the producer
a better price for his product but will
possibly give the consumer lower
prices.
The speaker went into the details of
the packing industry, showing about
what was returned from each animal
butchered in meats and by-products.
Tomorrow Last Day.
Tomorrow is the last day of the
annual convention or Tri-
state Grain Growers association, and
a. splendid program mas been arranged
as the finale of the most successful
meeting ever held. While there was
small crowd at the open
ing of the meeting, owing to delayed
trains and cold weather, there has been
q tremendous increase in the crowds
and tonight and tomorrow promise to
break all records. Hotels are now filled
to cot room in the halls, restaurants
are crowded and the streets are swarm
ing with visitors, practically every one
of them farmers from all parts of the
northwest.
The programs at the convention have
been put on without single hitch, re-
hecting much credit on the executive
ability of. President Waldron. There
have been few disappointments because
of speakers being unable to attend and
the result has been the almost literal
carrying out Of the program as pub
lished.
Soon Over His Cold.
Everyone speaks well of Chamber
~ &%0ws h