The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1918-12-18
HARD SURFACE
ROAD NETWORK
Laid out FOR
ENTIRE STATE
Minneso otas I Highway Cornmis-
:. sioner Outlines Proposition
Will Go Before Voters .
BELTRAMI, NEEDS ROAD
/. BETWEEN NORTH-SOUTH
Should BE- Highway From Bau-
detts, spooner and War
I. q. G.: " road TO County Seat

~ 8 8Hts.@a-' = - ttss s.. ~. .
z Z Comprehensive plans for lifting
Ntinnesota out OF the mud, and for
placing each county seat, on hard
surfaced. er3ad: connecting it with
every other county seat, are contain
Il ed III d program for road building to
be submitted to the legislature next
! month by Charles M. Babcock, Min
nesota commissioner Of highways.
No piecemeal or patchwork pro-
gram is proposed for providing means
!, Of easy and rapid intercommunica-
-tion between business centers and
rural communities and for giving our
own people and tourists easy access
! to- the shores offs $onr ten 4 thousand
What is contemplated is trunk
!; highway system, 5000 miles in length
to be- built and maintained by the
state with motor; license money and
federal aid. =
Proposal to Be Put to Voters, -.
Involving, as the program will,
radical departure from our former
practices, authority to carry. 1t out
will be asked from the voters Of the
state through constitutional
amendment to- be voted on at the
election ofs1920. & ~s. = -, u
IS In order that work may begin as
soon as it lis authorized by the peo-
pie, the amendment win provide for
the immediate issue of fstWenty-year
!. bonds 20: be retired through money
received during that period from Ii
censes for motor vehicles. ,,ss I, 5sa:. 's
The recent announcement ~ that
Minnesota, because of constitutional
Limitations, cannot comply with the
:; conditions which entitle' it to federal
aid. in road building, has constitu-
tional changes,
T. Sentiment throughout the state
! and among the lawmakers. is said to
be overwhe elmingly for a road-build-
ing program that will enable Mime
sofa to keep up with the fast pace
being set by neighborfng states in
highway construction. i e.. ~
- Babcock Outlines Plans.
In outlining the tentative plans for
ssthfs the proposed state highway sys-
= tenn, Mr. Babcock says ists Y: 1-r- ~
~: 9 lie program provides for the
creation of d State Trunk Highway
system Oh approximately 5000 miles
I in extent which Is to be constructed,
reconstructed, improved and forever
maintained by the State of Mime
sota," he said. :Ex -.s
- '"The tentative lines of this system
are shown in the accompanying map,
although the locations are shown
only with reference to terminal and
junction points. =.
2 y, "A special fund for carrying on the
work of improving and building
these highways will be created by
the amendment, and the legislature
: will be authorized to levy higher
license tax on motor vehicles than Is
now levied, this license to be in lieu
;Fof all other taxes on motor vehicles
.'The income from this source, to-
getIler with such federal aid money
! as may be received and such other
revenues as the legislature may au-
/; thorize will be applied to the State
Trunk Highway fund.
Bond Issue to BE Sought.
.'In order that the state may pro-
ceed at once to improve the trunk
:. highway; system. the legislature will
:. be authorized to, issue bonds OF the
State of Minnesota in the necessary
amount to finance road building.
c,.""These bonds will be issued from
time to time as funds are needed to
carry on the work. The bonds will
:; besretired at the expiration Of twenty
years. r.. -.F
7, Another feature is contained in
g the amendment which will authorize
the state to engage in the work Of
building highways, thing 1t is now
prevented from doing by the last part
Of Section 5 OF Article TX. Of the con-
stitution. s-E
This, in brief, is the program of
the highway department relating to
:. permanent highways
Z. "The Highway Department, In
submitting these plans to the legis-
.lature, with the request that they
be submitted to the people for ap-
proval as constitutional amend
rnent, has taken this action after due
and careful consideration of all
things involved and after many con-
sferences with citizens and business
men from all parts Of the state.
Suggestions Are Invited.
while the proposed plans are the
best that the department has been
able to evolve. desire to say that
suggestions for changes or altera-
Continued on page rour1