Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1920-08-06

restrictions OF the State, and the Fed
eral Aid Act provides that any money
set aside for any State remaining un-
expended for a period of two years,
would revert to the Federal Govern
ment and be re-allotted to other
States. This condition of affairs was
brought to the attention of Senators
! Nelson and Kellogg, and through
their efforts, an amendment was
made to the Federal Aid Act, provid-
ing that, where the constitution of
any State prohibits the same from en-
gaging upon works of internal i'm
provements or restricts the state
from entering into the con-
struction and improvements of
road and bridges, the funds allotted
such State be set aside and held until
such time the State shall have had
an opportunity to amend it's consti-
tuition.
Minnesota's opportunity to amend
its Constitution so as to participate
in future Federal Aid aIlotments, as
provided for by Amendment No. 1,
November.
Mr.. Ronning has also said that the
money from the one mill tax pro-
vided by the Bob Dunn Good Roads
Law could be spent on the trunk
highways. This is not so The
spending of the one mill tax is en-
tirely in the hands of the county
commissioners, and if this amend
ment passes, they will have no juris-
dictiOn over the trunk highways, and
will not spend one penny of their
money on the trunk system, but will
spend it all on the county roads
which are under their charge.
Since the submission of the con-
stitutional amendment there have
been some who have been afraid
that there might be tax levy on
all property of the State to meet in
terest and retirement charges on the
bond issue, and in support of this
fear, they cite section of the
amendment which reads as follows:
"In case the Trunk Highway Sink
ing Fund should not be adequate to
meet the payment of the principal
and interest of the bonds authorized
by the Legislature as hereinbefore
provided, the Legislature may pro-
vide by law for the taxation of all
taxable property of the State in an
amount sufficient to meet the de-
ficiency, or it may, in it's discretion,
appropriate to such sinking fund
moneys in the State Treasury not
otherwise appropriated ... -
Every careful thinking man, and
every man who has had any dealings
whatever with bond issues, knows
that this provision is placed in the
, constitutional amendment for the sole
: purpose of making the bonds sale
able, in other words, it is absolutely
necessary that the faith and credit
= of the State be back of the bonds,
/ otherwise it would not be possible
| to market them at par. Every mem
ber of the Legislature and every one
connected with the drafting Of the
amendment knows full we'll that ii
should be issued in such amounts as
to exceed that which can be fin
anced by the receipts from motor We
hicle licenses.
Mr.. Ronning has also said that il
is new departure for the state tc
ing of roads, but since there are
roads that are more important to the
state than they are to the township
and county, it is fitting and proper
that the state do this. If it is MOI
right for the state to take over the
work and expense of building anC
maintaining some of the roads, the1
it is not proper for the county tt
take over the building and maintain
ing of county roads; but if there ar'
roads which are more important tt
the whole county than they are tt
the township thru which they pass
and it is right that the county lool
after such roads, then it is right thar
the state look after the roads tina
are more important to the whole state
han to the separate counties.
At the present time we have ap
proximately $4,000 miles of road il
the State of Minnesota which arC
classified and known as Town roads
County roads and State roads. Tow1
roads are those that are laid out
built and maintained by the tow1
boards with township funds. Count!
roads are those that are built anC
maintained with county funds anC
state roads are those which have beer
designated as such, by the Count!
Commissioners and are roads OF
which State fnuds may be expended
State roads are the only roads in tn,