Morris tribune., 1919-02-07
BABCOCK'S BIG PLANS
FOR MINNESOTA ROADS
Hard Surface Roads As Trunk Lines
With Feeders Radiating in All
Directions

w. A. Hunt, state road engineer
for Stevens county, has received from
the State Highway Commission an
outline of the plan proposed by
Charles M. Babcock, commission
er of highways, for providing
Minnesota with good roads. The
outline as received by Mr.. Hunt
can be accepted as an official
statement of the proposition. Were
the Babcock plans to material
ize it would mean, for Stevens coun-
ty, a hard surfaced road across the
county from east to west and from
northwest to southeast. This would
be on the state roads now laid out,
east to west from Browns Valley thru
Morris to Glenwood, and northwest
to southeast following the Great
Northern from Herman thru Morris
to Benson. Both of these roads are
to be developed as main highways in
the future, whether the Babcock
plan goes into effect or not, but Mr..
Babcock's plan would likely be the
means of building better and more
substantial roads than would other
wise be the case. The road from east
to west is to be developed as the
Cooley Highway and from North
west to southeast as main highway
from Fargo to the Twin Cities.
Commissioner Babcock's recon-
mendations, all of which must be en-
acted in the form of amendments to
the constitution, include the follow
ing essential points:
1. Creation of a Trunk High
way system which penetrates into
every part of the state and which,
as has been stated comprises about
5000 miles of the most important
highways of the state
2. Establishment of fund, the
proceeds of which are to be used ex-
clusively for the improvement and
maintenance of the roads of the pro-
posed system, said fund to be deriv-
ed from the proceeds of motor vehi-
Gle licenses, as explained later, from
Federal aid funds, from unappropri-
If there is a deficit in the fund in
any year, then by tax on all assess
able property of the state of a suf-
ficient amount to bring the fund to
a sum which will meet all payments
to be made from it.
3. Authorizing the legislature to
provide for tax, or license fee, on
motor vehicles, the tax to be levied
on different basis than that levied
on other personal property, but pro-
viding that any tax so levied shall be
In lieu of all other taxes on such
motor vehicles for state and county
purposes.
4. Authorizing the legislature to
issue and sell bonds of the State of
Minnesota from time to time as mon
ey is needed to carry on the work of
improving and maintaining the roads
of the trunk highway system. The
bonds will run for twenty years, will
bear interest at rate not greater
than five per cent and will be retired
one-twentieth each year.
5. Authorizing the state to en-
gage in works of internal improve
ment so far, and only so far, as the
work of improving and maintaining
the roads in the trunk highway sys-
tenn is concerned. This is now for
hidden by Section 5 of Article TX OF
the constitution.
6. Authorizing the legislature tc
provide by law for the necessary ma.
chinery to carry out the intents anG
purposes of the amendment and tt
enact such statutes as it shall see fl
regulating the construction, mainte
nance and use of the roads in tn,
system.
The plan follows closely that o
Illinois which was submitted to tn
people of the state at the genera
election in 1913 and which was ap
proved by majority of nearly 500,
900. In Illinois, however, the pla1
was submitted in the form of stat
ute which was referred under the in
itiative and referendum law of tina
state. In Minnesota it is necessar,
to treat the proposition as a consti
tutional amendment because of pro
visions in the constitution of thi
state which must be changed.
The plan does not disturb the stat
road and bridge fund, which is dis
tributed among the various countie
on basis of one per cent minimum
and three per cent maximum to an
county. The county and town roa
funds are also left intact.