Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1920-10-15
$4,000 GAIN FOR
COUNTY-TOWN FUNDS
Stevens County Comparisons Given
On Effects of Present and
Proposed Plans

More than $4,000 next year, and
still larger amounts in later years,
compared with $4,000 this year,
will be furnished for use on Stew
ems county and township roads
through the adoption of Good Roads
Amendment No. 1. The increase will
represent indirectly savings on auto
mobile expenses, tires, gasoline, and
so forth, it is explained, and Meth
er road tax increases nor new road
bond issues will be necessary.
The 1920 figures here are taken
from official records and the Mime
sofa state highway department furn-
ished the estimates which are rated
conservative.
STATE TAKES BIG BURDEN
About So miles of main highways
in this county-those which long
have taken the biggest part of an
nual funds and often at the expense
of other roads-are to be taken over
by the state under the proposed plan.
The counties and towns, as stated,
will continue to receive all state aid
and local road taxes with which to
build and improve the local roads.
Their biggest gain, however, will re-
suit from the state taking over the
trunk roads. In return for this, the
county will give up only the per-
sonal taxes from motor vehicles
which was $4,192 last year. 1t will
also allow the state to expend the
federal aid money, a share of which
will be used in this county as in the
past.
$1O,OOO,OOO A YEAR MORE
Adoption of Amendment No. / will
provide yearly average of $10,0OO,-
900 or more for the state highway
system and upwards of SIS, 100000
year for county and town road pur-
poses. 1t will mean a 1921 total of
$25,OOO,OOO in round figures, and
more each succeeding year, against
less than SIT, 100000 now available.
The added dollars will be derived
from higher automobile license fees
and the full federal aid allotment.
Stevens county road funds this
year total approximately $4,000
plus the federal aid and bond money.
There is $4,000 of county and $47,-
900 of township taxes and $4,000
of state aid. Of the first total, ap-
proximately $4,000 is being spent
for maintenance and together with
the federal aid and bond money, for
new construction on the So miles to
be taken over by the state under the
proposed plan. Thus only 5000
is going for maintenance and i'm
prOvements on the local roads.
ALL FUNDS SUFFICIENT
The Amendment No. 1 plan, en-
gineers figure, will yield $4,000 for
the local roads, compared with the
present total of $4,000 this year.
Larger amounts will be spent on the
trunk highways also, without any
bond issues. Every dollar from the
sources named must be used on the
cOunty-town roads and not one cent
on the state system.
The state will be bound by the con-
stitutiOn to properly maintain all
trunk highways in this county and
to fairly appOrtion the remaining
funds for permanent improvements.
The estimated state fund of S1O,-
100000 year, engineers state will
provide for grading, draining and
graveling of 500 miles and the hard
surfacing of 200 miles more each
year, in addition to adequate main
tenanee. Thus, in six years the state
system will be made up entirely of
finely drained and gravelled roads,
except for more than 1900 miles