The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-01-16

MANt<ATo WEEKLY FREE
cuss:on OF the Babcocl amendment
and the great benefits which the hard
surface roads this plan provides for
would mean to the entire state. john
III. Holman pointed out that this
county was, asked to contribute but
$4,000 to tho campaign to carry the
amendment, while the reads built
here would cost S2.6OO,OeQ.
"This is Gods section Of America
said Mr.. Hohmann. People have to
live elsewhere to really realize what
we have here. We. should wake up to
an appreciation OF our natural re-
sources. It means thousands of dol
lars to the state. every year and a
development that has never before
been even anticipated"
Babcock Amendment Favored.
On motion of Roy Fl. Allison the
club went on record in favor of the
Babcock amendment and pledged to
assist in raising the needed funds for
the campaign. On motion OF r. E.
Browder it was voted the sense of the
meeting that the board of governors
b. given authority to spend the funds
needed to carry or the campaign.
The report of Treasurer +. X.
Meagher showed the total receipts Of
the club for the year to have been
s2,2oS.75. Expenditures during the
year, for all purposes, chiefly for as
SistinS in the Improvement of various
highways, was $3.50. 0S. The balance
on hand On december 81. 1919 was
s95S.67.
Secretary Searing's report in part
was as follows:
Our clubs activities extended out
in q uuElbe; of directions during the
year, along lines OF usefulness to our
members, to automobile tourists visit :
ing tho city, to sections of the
county dependent upon their high
WAYS. and to the, public in general.
In the matter OF road work, our
largest undertaking was to get the
read patrol system started in this
county by inducing the county board
to Giyo the plan trial, and by pay
ing a substantial sum toward the first
years expense. PatroImen were
plat ed on the Madison Lake, Good
Thunder, Mapleton and Lake Crystal
roads, the understanding being that
our club was to pay $500 toward the
expense on each CT these roads for
the seasons wcrk.a In one way, it was
q very peer season to give the plan a
trial, as the roads came out of last
winter in terrible condition; yet in
another way it was just the time to
do 1t, for patrolmen were needed mere
than ever before. Complaints were
made Of the work done by some OF the
patrolmen, and these were inyestigat-
ed and the county board laid off one
or two of them. On the whole, it can
be said that the experiment demon
stratcd that coed patrol,ran, well sup
piled with needful equipment. give
excellent results and save expense in
the long run By making repairs when
needed and by keeping the roads in
good condition for travel the season
through. Other csi..aties are putting
them on in increasing numbers, and it
is to be hoped that the county board
|of this. county viii use the patrol
system more extensively in the flu
turc, especially if The right kind OF
men can be secured men whose
minds are on the best kind of work
that they can do, rather than On the
pay they set.
The st. Clair Road.
"A number of our members who live
at st. Clair and Smiths Mill are very
anxious to have the st. Clair road
graded and grayeled ali The way
through, and efforts have been made
by our officers and good roads CON-
mittee to get this pushed along. and
| am pleased to be able to report that
this is project decided upon by the
county board for the coming year.
The selection OF that road as part of
the Pershing Way makes it still more
imperative that it be improved, If any
ether argument was needed than the
fact that st. Clair and Pemberton
have no direct railroad to Mankato
and are dependent upon this road to
reach the county seat
Our membership reached GIG. as
compared with 81 the year before.
we have members at the st. Clair,
Madison Lake, Eagle Lake, Kasota,
Vernon Center and Smiths Mill and
among the farmers, so we are in real
Ity community club, wherein all
sections Cooperate, and very fine
spirit is shown. 1t would be mighty
nice thing if a club picnic at some
nearby point of interest could be ar
ranged next summer for all the men,
bers and their families-a sort of get
acquainted affair. One or two longer
club runs might also add little pep
TO the seasons work
AS a preliminary move, we should
make every effort to get all automo-
bile owners into our club, so they can
work o-o2eratiyejy. We ouyht to
have our present IN m bersil in
doubled, at least. Every present
member can help by trying to
get some one else to join. Our fees
are small. but the coed that we do as
an organization is great. The year
1920 imposes a highly important work
on motor vehicle owners in Mime
nesota, and we must. accept the re-
spOnsibility and make good"
Mr., Soaring also spoke of other
road work VIII ieh the Automo-
bile club accomplished by gong in
halves with the. Commercial club on
all such. projects .Iie pointed out the
great assistance the club had proven
in furnishing road maps for tourists
from all pats of the, country, passing
through this CITY,. Mention was made
90 = l-