The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1921-06-29
babCOCk Forces
Start Dirt Flying
HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT WORKS
TO GIVE BENEFITS UNDER
AMENDMENT NO. 1.

In the big task or transferring
Minnesota's good roads program
from paper to the ground, Charles
M. Babcock, state highway commits
sioner, and members of his staff are
making rapid progress, under a
showing on Official records made
public this week.
Accomplishments during the last
30-day period are summarized as
follows:
More than $3.50 of the 1000
mile system of state trunk high
ways taken over by the state to
be improved and forever main
tanned"
Maintenance organization Of
more than 1000 patrolmen and
crews with 30 tractors and 125
trucks put on the job of max
! ing and keeping smooth the en-
tire system under the $3,000,-
600 annual maintenance fund
set aside to spread benefits at
once to every section.
Contracts made for more
than $2,O0O,0OO of new con-
struction-mainly grading and
gravel surfacing-on trunk
highways; calls to go out soon
for bids on another $1,000,000
lot of projects and still others
to follow.
Approximately $4,500,000 of
county bond projects for trunk
highway improvements approv-
ed under the state reimburse 5
ment plan and assistance given
local road authorities charged
with spending $12,500,000 this
year on feeder roads.
The latest progress map issued
shows trunk highway improvement
undertakings in 46 localities widely
scattered over the state.
Minnesota road fund estimates
this year are $26, 6,333,000 from all
sources" said Commissioner Bah
cock, "and the people are entitled to
corresponding benefits on the hlgn-
way system without unnecessary de-
lay. It is to that end the highway
department is working with all pos
sible speed"
Less than 60 days have elapsed
since Amendment No. was made
effective by the legislature, and un-
til that time there was neither au-
shority or money available to make
even preliminary plans and surveys
necessary in the development pro-
gram. In spite of this big handicap,
however, the department announced
an organization of about 1900 mem
bers including 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 $13,850,000 in
round numbers of motor vehicle tax
es, federal aid and county bond
money for trunk highway improve
ments, and $12,5O0,000 Of local tax
es and state aid to be spent by coun-
ty authorities exclusively on roads
other than those in the trunk sys-
tenn. Without county bond funds in
the future the trunk highway total
is estimated at from $9,000,000 to
S1O,0OO,OO0 year, federal aid con-
tinued, while the funds for the local
or farmer roads will exceed $12,-
100000 annually-bearing out the
statement that the Babcock plan is
first to provide good road to every
farm gate.
Commissioner Babcock attributes
the successful showing thus far to
the loyal, untiring assistance from
H. II. Mullen, assistant commission
er and chief highway engineer; O.
L. Kipp, chief engineer, and w. A.
Pitcher, assistant, Of the contraction
department; J. T. Ellison, chief en-
gineer, and Albert Larkin, assistant
of the bridge department; w. a
Rosenwald, chief engineer and M. j
Hoffman, assistant, of the mainten-
ance department, and the division
engineers, district superintendent
the patrolmen, and others of the old
and new highway department organ
ization. The cooperation of road au-
thorities 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 farmer
roads, in the recent QUESTIONABLE
in that organization recalled the big
majority by which Amendment No. 1
was adopted to give effect to the Bah
cock plan in Minnesota.
The result is regarded as an en-
dorsement of the Dowell bill in con-
gress which in effects sets up the Min
nesota plan as a model for state
highway development. Commission
er Babcock is a leader in the fight
for that type Of legislation and also
in urging prompt action to continue
federal aid to the states on the es-
tablished lines.
Speeding Makes Problem
Speed breakers to prevent trunk
routes from being converted into
race courses as they are improved
were proposed to Commissioner Bah
cock, but he was not ready to COM
naent on the possibility Of the "road
bumps at intervals sufficient to
throw out the occupants of cars run
ming As miles an hour or faster but
nardly perceptible at Is or 80 miles
an hour"
"The department cannot under
take to police, as well as improve