The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1920-08-05

connected with well-graded, gravel
surfaced roads. The paving of all the
much-traveled routes in Minnesota is
undoubtedly only a question of time.
The conservatives will ask why are
paved roads necessary in the rural
communities? If the roads in Mile |
Laos county were travelled only by the
residents of this county, gravel-sur-
faced roads would undoubtedly be
found entirely satisfactory. Fortu-
nately we are not so isolated. In Ger
tain seasons hundreds Of cars day, on
their way to the lake from st. Paul,
Minneapolis and other southern points
pass through Princeton and Milaca.
The roads in the county belong not to
us alone but to the whole state, and
therefore the state should maintain
certain highways. Realizing this the
citizens of Minneapolis, St. Paul and
Duluth are generously supporting
Amendment No. 1, although not one
penny of the Trunk Highway Fund
can be used inside these cities.
Mr.. Babcock states that: "Sixty
per cent of all the automobiles in the
state are owned inside the Incorporated
city and village limits of the state,
leaving 40 per cent that are owned in
the rural districts. Less than 10 per
cent of the 1000 miles of the road in
the Trunk Highway system is within
the city and village limits and not one
foot inside the limits Of cities of the
first class. Therefore 80 percent of
the total receipts Of 60 per cent of the
automobiles that are owned inside the
city and village limits must be spent
in the rural districts in addition to the
total receipts of the 40 per cent that
are owned in the rural districts"
Comenting on the road work which
has already been done and the nccessi-
ty for paving certain roads, Mr.. Null
len, chief engineer Of the highway de-
partment, makes the following state
ment:
$50 far as the Trunk Highway sys-
tenn is concerned, none of this work has
been wasted, for it will be used in the
more substantial improvement of the
road surface. Grading, if properly
done, is undoubtedly the most nearly
permanent part Of road work, but
grading alone does not furnish road.
1t is necessary to provide a surface
which will protect the grade from the
weather, sustain heavy loads, and re-
sist the action Of traffic. An effort
has been made in Minnesota to take
care Of this condition by gravel sur
facing where funds were available for
that purpose and by the establishment
|of an effective maintenance system;
which for time and really up to the
last year or two gave this state rep
!!utation for good roads. This reputa-
tion might be sustained if traffic con-
ditions had remained as they were
four or five years ago, but there has
been most radical and remarkable
change in the volume and character
of traffic on the public highways,
which makes it necessary that imme-
date steps be taken to meet the
changed conditions. The increased
Ipse of motor vehicles, and particularly
the use of motor trucks, which are ex-
tremely destructive to a gravel road,
makes it almost impossible to main
tain the heavy traffic roads without
paving them"
!; To sum up the whole matter we are
on what is destined to be one of the
, main highways of the state and an
opportunity is afforded US to vote for
an amendment that will make avail
!, liable thousands of dollars of state
money for the building and mainte-
nance of our roads. This is our heritage
because we have in our county one of
the most beautiful lakes in Minnesota
and because we are living in pro-
| !gressive state whose citizens believe
lin developing not their particular COM
munity but the whole state. Shall we
} 'spurn the gifts the gods bring US :?
Vote Eyes" for amendment No. 1.
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