The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1920-03-11
THE BABCOCK PLAN
Every Voter in Favor of Good High
ways Should Cast His Ballot
for the Amendment.
Ten, Among Other Reasons, Why This
Proposition Should Become a
Law of the State.

Law of the State.
Hereunder are 10 reasons why the
Babcock amendment should carry by
a large majority in this years election:
l. Because it will give Minnesota
"a 7,000-mile trunk highway system to
care for intercounty and statewide
traffic.
2. Because it will remove from the
counties and townships the burden of
building and maintaining these exc
pensive highways. =
8. Because it will release enough
local funds to enable the counties and
townships to build 1850 miles of
graveled roads at $4,000 a mile in ten
years, if these funds are concentrated
on this work.
4. Because this magnificent high
way system will be constructed with
out increasing general taxes in, Mime
sofa single penny.
5. Because ,the motor vehicle own
ers who pay increased fees will get
their money back threefold through a
saving in the cost Of operating their
cars.
+ 6. Because it will be the first time
that Minnesota will be given an OPP
portunity to treat it's road building
problems in business-like way.
I 7. Because it will make accessible
to tourists the beauty spots of the
state, turning idle capital into active
investments, and thus bring millions
of dollars into the state.
8. Because it will add hundreds of
millions of dollars to the wealth of
the state by reducing marketing costs
and developing the agricultural re-
sources of the state.
9. Because it will carry the bene-
fits of good roads to all parts of the
state simultaneously without waiting
FIR the slow and wearisome process Of
road building. State maintenance be-
gins at once.
10. Because it will give Minnesota
the most wonderful road system pos
sessed by any state in the union.
The great weakness of highway con-
struction in the past has been that the
highways of each county were con-
structed without much reference to the
highways of adjoining counties on the
actual needs of intercounty or state,
wide traffic.
AS long as travel on the highways
was limited to local travel the i'm
portance of systematic unifcation of
highways was not so important. Now
that the automobile has come into al
most universal use, well-marked and
systematically laid out highways are
an absolute necessity.
The Importance of great highway
systems constructed of concrete in the
development of the country is recog-
nized by everyone who gives the sub
ject thought. California has led the
country in the construction of hard
surfaced highways and has as a result
reapcd millions of dollars profit from
the increased tourist travel attracted
to the state. But even California for
long time neglected to unity her
highways and. there were numerous
isolated stretches of concerted high
ways with rather Indifferent country
roads between.
To secure the maximum benefit from
highway construction every hard-sur-
faced highway should be part of
complete system covering the most
frequented trade and tourist travel in
the state. Each stretch of rosd then
draws traffic for the others. The Bah
cock amendment provides for the con-
struction of highways under such
plan.
The passage of the Babcock amend
ment and the completion of the high
ways designated in the amendment
would put Minnesota at the head of
the nation in the matter of good roads
and make this state the mecca of the
touring public as we'll as save the resi-
dents of the state untold millions of
dollars in decreased local transporta-
ton expenses.
Remember this and on election day
cast your ballot for the amendment.
Neglect to vote on this proposition
means that an unmarked ballot will
count against the plan.