The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-03-14
FAVORS ROAD PROJECT.
COUNTY BOARD TO TAKE UP
IMPORTANT MATTER
MEETING IS TO BEAELD
Subject of Hard Surfaced High
ways Will Receive Prompt
Attention

There is project on foot to start
a hard surface road building program
in this country this year Members
of the county board have talked it
over, and are willing to start the
undertaking. The object of this move
is patriotic one, and resulted from
Frank Pollay's address in Mankato
last week. when he urged that ell of
the public work that could possibly
be done this year be undertaken. and
told how the federal government, in
order to help, had decided to pay one
half OF the cost of building hard sur
faced roads this year and next, in
order to give employment to men who
might not otherwise be able to find
II. The members Of the county board
feel that they are in a position to of
fer employment to great number OF
men by simply anticipating the road
building program by a couple of years
provided bill now in the legislature
passes, which would permit county,
boards TO issue rot TO exceed $3.50, 900
bonds for road building purposes
without a vote of the people, so as
to cradle them to take advantage Of
the federal governments offer Our
county board would not expect to is
sue more than 100000 bonds at tho
outside
Will Hold Special meetinu.
The county board has decided to
hold q special meeting next week
Friday, March 2I. 10 consider this
matter, and il desires to have repre
sentative men present from all uarts
of the county, to express their sonin-
ion on the subject. Mr.. Davis of The
state highway department will baI
present to talk or the matter fsn,,1ty
Commissioner Foley last exeninys ~
tended a Joint meeting Of the exacu-
tive comn1fffee of the Mantato Com
nlef<5aI cl<I15 and the board of GOV
errors of he zfarkaf< ANTON, oy,,le
club ard exclaimed what the cor,nfvi
b1<rd had - mind and oe|ro6 "a = Z. !
e<t<1s1t1 a c1i1<6I = s - |I>..|
Il q 81 s (. Il & y IS s. Sc a, 8 g or<,5 ]
ect. the only division az oninion hairo
as 10 where the six or eight miles
or paved road ought TO be- built but
all finally agreed that the best thine
TO do was to leave this entirely IN tbe
Judgment of the state highway com
mission, as that BODY would have toi
give its approval in any event II was
voted to appoint a committee of three
from each club to attend the meeting
March DIST tn renrasent tbasa oroa,,;
cations ard to some extent the citv
Roads On The List
There are five or six roads in tho
county that are on the Rabcocx hard
surface road program the ST peter
road, the Madison Lake road tho
GAINESVILLE road. which for nine milee
traverses the Madison Lake road tho
Mapleton road. the Vernon Center
road and the Lake CRYSTAL road Ono
of these roads would he desicna+ad
and the work could he done on any
part of either of these roads inside cf
the county. not NECESSARILY closa IN,
Mankato. In fact ./sections at dist
ance have been suggested sucb as
north from Mapleton. near Lake
Crystal or Amboy. Tho only obiac-
ton to taking a section of fbe road
remote from Mankato would ba tbe
fact that road building material would /
have to be trahsnorted nv rail which !
it is estimated would add 50 900 n milo
to the cost of the work. which fwould
reduce the mileage that could ba nut
in a reinforced 1S-foot conorctn
pavement, with s. foot shoulders ofl
gravel, is estimated to cost 50 50o =
mile.
Story of Cost
One other feature TO he considered
is that the interest on the share OF
the cost of the pavement that the
county would pay for would be abou,
$1,000 to the time when the state
would take over the debt after inc