The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1920-07-29
NOW, GET THIS RIGHT
Eastman Analyses Statement Of
Townley Paper and Shows
Where 1t Misrepresents,
EXPLAINS Salient Points in the Bah
cock Road Plan and Its Source
of Maintenance,


the pen of Avah Eastman, editor Of
the St. Cloud journal Press:
The only danger to the adoption Of
Amendment No. j is from misunder~
standing-and possibly misrepresen~
tation. A nonpartfsan paper in dis
cussing the proposed amendment
makes the following comment:
The weakness or injustice of the
proposed system Of roads is that 1t
assumes that the state should provide
a costly system of concrete roads for
the motor traffic between towns at
the expense OF all the taxpayers while
only a comparatively small number
win get the direct benefit. 1t would
meet the ends of justice better to pro
vide the whole farming coEHmunity
with gravel roads at much lower cost
before adopting the concrete road sys-
ten.
Here are the facts: If Amendment
No. 1 is ratified by the people ;on the
first Of January, 1921, tlle state,
through the highway commissioner,
will talze over the seven thousand miles
Of highways designated in this amend
ment These roads will be maintained
from the license fees pa1d by auto
and truck owners. The coming session
of the legislature will fix the license
fees, and, if it follows the Babcock
plan, the average will be about $18,
ranging from $40 for a Ford to $40
for a Packard. This matter is, how
ever up to the legislature. If the
average is S18 and it will probably be
near that figure, the highway depart
'ment will have, with the addition of
the federal appropriation, something
like eight or ten million dollars each
year to use in maintaining these seven
: thousand3miles and to buifd permanent
highways as fast as the money will
permit 1t is to be presumed that the
commissioner will use good business
Judgment. Some roads will he paved
bile traffic Others will be graded and
.graveled, and ell will be mdntained in
as good condition as possible. Proba-
bly, some of the roads in this~system of
seven Thousand miles can be more
economically built and maintained by
graveling than they could by paving.
b 1t is also true that highways like that
between ST. Cloud and the twin cities
cannot be maintained Of dirt construc-
ton. Even the attempt would rotconly
be waste Of good money but would
bankrupt the counties along the road.
It is economy to pave them. This is
being done and IT is the correct thing
to do. There are several other main
roads that are up against this same
condition, and these naturally will be
the first roads to be paved. In the
course Of ten years, when the commits
sion will have an increasing yearly
fund to use, the roads that should be
paved as a matter of good business
Judgment viii be paved. The others
will be put in the best possible condi-
ton and so maintained by graveled
surface.
The statement quoted above that it
is to be assumed that the state should
provide costly system of concrete
roads for motor traffic cat the ex-
pense of all the taxpayers" is an as
sumption without any foundation.
These roads will be paved by the fees
paid by the owners of motor vehicles
and there will not be single cent OF
taxes to be paid by any citizen, to say
nothing of "all of them" It is mis-
leading statements like these that is
doing a lot of harm. It should also
be remembered that when the highway
department takes over these seven
thousand miles of highways the tax
payers are relieved of their burden,
and all the money now paid into the
road and bridge funds can then be
used in grading and crawling the
other roads Of the state, which COM
plctely meets the objection of those
who favored the graveled roads.
If Amendment No. is adopted Min
alesota will have thousands of miles of
good graveled roads that it can never
have under the present system-and
without any additional burden of tax
alton.
The trucks and automobiles are max
ing roads of dirt construction impossi-
BILE. Is there any sound reason why
they should not be made to build
roads that will stand up? The men
who will pay the bills are not object
ing. They are willing to stand the
cost, because they will pay them big
returns on their investment. Why
should people who do not have to pay
any part of the expense object, and
especially when they will get all the