The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1921-06-30
B B . Forces
s Start | a /! Dirt j / |. Flying:

and members of his staff are max
ing rapid. progress, under a showing
ON official records made public this
week. - ~ .....r y. -=..>. O. -..z:>. ::
Accomplishments during the las,
thirty-day period are summarized as
follows: ..: Z. .'":..... =.
More than IS per cent of the
7,000-mile system of state trunk
highways taken over by the state
to be improved and forever
maintained"
Maintenance organization of
more than 1000 patrolmen and
crews with forty tractors and
125 trucks put on the job of
making and keeping smooth the
entire system, under 100000
annual maintenance fund set aside
to- spread benefits at once to- ev-
cry section.
Contracts made for more than
100000 of new construction
mainly grading and gravel sur
facing-on trunk highways; calls
to go out soon for bids ON anoth+
err $1,000,000 lot of projects and
still others to- follow.
Approximately $4,50O,0OO of
county bond projects for trunk
highway improvements approved
under the state reimbursement
plan and assistance given local
road authorities charged with
spending $12,500,000 this year on
feeder roads.
Many Sections Benefitinq
The latest progress map, issued by
the department and based on official
records show trunk highway i'm
provement undertakings in forty-six
localities widely scattered over the
state.
Minnesota road fund estimates
this year are $26,333,00O from all
sources" said commissioner Babcock,
and the people are entitled to COR
responding benefits on the highway
system without unnecessary delay.
1t is to that end the highway de-
partment is working with all posi-
BILE speed
Less than sixty days have passed
since Amendment No. l was made
effective by the legislature, and until
that time there was neither authority
nor money available to make even pre-
liminary plans and surveys necessary
in the development program. In
spite of this big handicap, however,
the department announced an organ
ization of about 1900 members in
Guiding patrolmen in every section of
the state, and much new construction
begun by contractors as the summary
shows
Fund Division Explained
The total of present season road
funds is made up Of $l3,850,000 in
round numbers of motor vehicles taxes
federal aid and county bond money
for trunk highway improvements,
and $12,500,000 of local taxes and
state aid to be spent by the county
authorities exclusively on roads other
than those in trunk system. With
out county bond funds in the future
the trunk highway total is estimated
at from $9,00O,000 to $10,0D0,-
900 year, federal aid continued,
while the funds for the local or farm
ers' roads will exceed $12,500,00O an
nually, bearing out the statement that
the Babcock plan is first to provide
a good road to every farm gate
Commissioner Babcock attributes
the successful showing thus far to
the loyal, untiring assistance from
J. H. Mullen, assistant commissioner
and chief highway emgineerH O: L.
Kipp, chief engineer, andW. A. Pill
cher, assistant, of the construction
department; J. T. Ellison chief en-
gineer, and Albert Larkin, assistant,
of the bridge department; w. F.
chief engineer and M. J.
Hoffman, assistant, of the mainten-
ance department, and division en-
gineers, district superintendent,
the patrolmen, and others Of
the old and new highway department
The cooperation of
road authorities throughout the state
the commissioner said, has also been
of great assistance.
Farmers know Road Needs
The so to / vote of Minnesota
Farm Bureau members for FARMERS
roads" in the recent QUESTIONABLE in
that organization recalled the. big
by which Amendment No. 1
was adopted to. give effect to the
Babcock plan in Minnesota. r. +: Z ~ !.
The result is regarded as an en-
dorsement of the Dowell bill II, con-
gress which in effect sets up. the
plan as a model for state
development !. Commits Toner,