Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1920-10-08
BENEFIT LOCAL ROAD
MORRISON COUNTY WILL GAua
" ROAD FUNDS THROUGH ADoP-
.TIoQC OF AMENDMENT NO. l.


Minnesota Highway Improvement As
s0ciafi0n, and shows wherein the local
roads will secure additional funds by
the adoption of Amendment No. l.,
Morrison county roads, like those in
many other counties, are growing grad
ually poorer in spite of recent increases
in road taxes. -, e,
Good Roads Amendment No. l is de-
signed to solve the problem of better
maintaining and improving roads with
out further increasing taxes OF issuing
road bonds as is being done in many
states. The plan will accomplish this,
it is explained. mainly by relieving the
counties of the upkeep of main high.
ways and placing that heavy expense on
the motor traffic which is rapidly in.
creasing road requirements. Friends of
the plan present 1920 and 1921 compar-
isons furnished by the state highway
department in support of their claims.
Shows Local Gains
There are 1900 miles Of public roads
in this county. Road money this year
includes $4,000 of county and $62, ,40l
Of town taxes; $21,14 of state and
100000 of federal aid, also $3.50, 900
OF DOnd revenue.
The grand total is $5e2, sos and ap-
proximately $5l0,153 of it is being
spent upon the trunk highways which
are to be taken over by the state.
Thus only $82,452 now is being spent
on the local roads.
Under Amendment No. 1, however,
there will be available next year about
$224,501 against the $82,452 figure this
year-a gain of $142,049 without issu.
ing any bonds.
$15,000,000 for Local Roads
To the larger 1921 fund, county taxes
will yield $l41 900; township taxes $685.
600; and the state aid will add probably
$51 900 as this year. The county-town
trunk highways taken over by the
state.
Morrison county will have gained
nearly $142,000 for use on the lateral
or farmer roads, without increases in
road taxes or issuing road bonds.
Altogether, Minnesota road funds
will aggregate $25,00O,O0O next year,
against less than $17 100000 this year,
and steadily increasing amounts will be
provided in succeeding years under the
proposed plan. The state will have
about $1O,000,000 year for the trunk
roads and the counties and towns more
than $15,00O,00O every year for local
roads exclusively.
The benefits to the counties and
towns at once are apparent from the
big gain in funds actually available,
friends Of the proposal maintain, and
1o do in
short order.
Increases Cash Gifts
Engineers report that the state by
spending $l0,000,000 a year during the
next six years can properly grade,
drain and gravel the entire 1000 mile
state system and also hard-surface more
than 1900 miles of those carrying the
heaviest traffic. It will be obliged first
to put and keep every mile of the sys-
tenn in good condition, and then, as
funds permit and according to traffic
to use the surplus each year
for permanent betterments.
Morrison county already is receiving
1921, 900 of state and federal aid. Ad-
vocates of Good Roads Amendment No.
/ claim that the new plan will on the
average double this gift from the out
side. They explain that the proposal
''looks too good to be true' to some
citizens, but recall that the same aP-
piled to the Bob Dunn 1-mill tax amend
ment. The fact is that all additional
funds will come from higher motor We
hicle licenses and federal aid, and that
the automobile and truck owners gener-
ally favor it.