The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-12-20
Linking Up County Seats By
Building Good Highways
PLAN OF c. M. BABCoCK
State Commissioner To Submit
His Idea To the Mime
sofa Legislature

ing each county seat on a hardSur
faced road connecting it with every
other county seat, are contained in a
program for road building to be sub
mitted to the legislature next month
by Charles NJ Babcock, Minnesota
commissioner of highways, says The
st. Paul Pioneer Press.
i No piecemeal or patchwork pro-
gram is proposed for providing means
of easy and rapid intercommunica-
ton between business centers and
rural communities and for giving our
own people and tourists easy access
to the shores of our ten thousand
lakes.
/ What is contemplated is a 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, rad
ical departure from our former prac-
tees, authority to carry it out will
be asked from the voters of the state
through a constitutional amendment
to be voted on at the election of 1920
In order that work may begin as
soon as it is authorized by the peo-
pie, the amendment will provide for
the immediate issue of twenty-year
bonds to be retired through money
received during that period from Ii
censes for motor vehicles.
The recent announcement that
Minnesota, because of constitutional
limitations, cannot comply with the
conditions which entitle it to federal
aid in road building, has stimulated
interest in proposed constitutional
changes.
Sentiment throughout the state and
among lawmakers is said to be over
whelmingly for road building pro-
gram that will enable Minnesota to
! keep up with the fast pace being set
| by neighboring states in highway
| construction.
Babcock Outlines Plans.
! Mr.. 'Babcock has announced the
tentative plans for the proposed state
trunk highways system.
'The program provides for the
creation of a state trunk highway
system of approximately 5000 miles
| in extent which is to be constructed,
reconstructed, improved and forever
maintained by the state of Mime
sota," he said
1.-The tentative lines of system are
shown IT. the accompanying map, al
/ though the locations are shown only
with reference to terminal and juno
ton points.
"a special fund for CARRYING on the
work of improving and building these
| highways will be created by the
amendment, ard the legislature will
be authorized to levy a higher Ii :
cerse tax on motor vehicles than is
now levied, this license to be in lieu
of all other taxes on motor vehicles
"The Income from this source, to-
gether with such federal aid money
revenues as the legislature may au-
thorize will be applied to the state
trunk highway fund.
{ Bond Issue to Be Sought.
I'm order that the state may pro-
coed 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.
| These bonds will be issued from
time to time as funds are needed to
carry on the work. The bonds will
be retired at the expiration of twenty
years.
Another feature is contained in
the amendment which will authorize
the state to engage in the work OF
building highways, a thirg it is now
prevented from doing by the last part
of Section of Article TX. of the con
Stitution.
"This, ir brief is the program of
the highway department relating 10
permanent highways.
"The highway department, in sub
hitting these plans to the legislature
with the request that they be sub
mitted to the people for approval as
a constitutional amendment, has ia :
ken this action after due and care
full consideration of all things involv
ed and after many conferences with
citizens ard business meE 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 alteTa-
lions will be gladly received and given
most careful consideration.
1--WE have worked out what appears
to us to be the best possible plans
but it is harly probable they are not
!. capable of improvement
With reference to the proposed
routes, we have followed the lines Of
traffic OF. our existing state roads
land have SO drafted the plans thai
. every county seat and every city oil
1000 or more is reached by the trunk
{, highway system.
i "The people will be given oppor.
i. tunity to be heard on these routes
t and if changes are necessary to take
care of the needs, they can all be
made before the amendment is sub
: mitted
e If the amendment is approved, the
J bonds will be sold as the money is
!, needed for construction work.
"The returns from motor vehicle
, licenses should be sufficient to take
!, care of The sinking fund and retire
i the bords within the twenty year per.
!, iod with little or no assistance from
3 general tax levies
Value Hard to Estimate.
"The volue Of such a system to tn,