The Mankato free press., 1921-12-23
CREWS ON ROADS
MAKE Dirt MOVE
Many Outfits With the Big
Gangs Are Busy
BARGAIN PRICES PREVAIL
Commissioner Babcock Is Well
Pleased With Winters Out
look On Highways

many camps nnlSneu ana more
nearing completion. actual work is
starting on the first forty contract
projects let by Commissioner Charles
M. Babcock, of the state highway de-
partment, under the more work-bet-
ter roads" winter program on truck
routes to cut forced idleness.
Bound by contracts to finish by
April l the biggest part of 800 miles
of gravel surfacing and fifty miles OF
grading on the first of jobs, the con
tractors already are getting crews in
action in almost every section of MIN
nesota. An unofficial estimate is that
more than $500 men would be given
jobs on a team work basis. Special
maintenance work partly for the bene-
fit of local farmers in advancing some
sections, one district superintendent
reporting 3SS men and teams on his
December payroll.
Commissioner Babcock closed bar
gains with low tidders on his return
from Omaha where he was elected
president of the American Association
of Highway Officials. The numerous
bids checked again in the meantime
the commissioner made awards &C
cording to the tentative list published
except on one culvert job on which
lower figure was found. Also, he lei
to the Butler Brothers Building com
pany, big contractors of st. Paul, the
contract for twenty five miles of paw
ing between Norrhfield and Wescott
on truck highway No. at about $25,-
900 a mile.
This pavement will connect with
that south of ST. Paul and the four.
teen miles strip between Mortified
and Faribault and is part of the plan
to extend Minnesota's longest continu-
Gus pavement next year to more thar
160 miles. Benton county has con
Cloud to Royalton and ten miles en- tt
Little Falls is to be let this week by
Morrison County, all under the REIN
bursement bond law.
Bargain Prices Given
John H. Mullen. deputy comm iSsion
er and chief highway engineer, ex.
pressed the satisfaction of the depart.
ment with the bargin prices on winter
road work. Paving prices are on the
same low level with those on grading
and gravel surfacing," said Mr.. Mul.
len, "and big values are being giver
for the taxpayers money. Savings
improvements more rapidly"
Protests that contractors are taking
work at less than cost were made by
truck owners at meetings in Minnea
polls and st. Paul. Commissioners
Babcock said that bonds will guaran
tee performance on contracts and add
ed that the state was not directly in
terested in the controversy. 1t was
pointed out that efforts were made tt
use teams rather than trucks toward
giving unemployment relief in various
localities.
Commenting on the truck owners
protest, The st. Paul Dispatch said:
"All evidence points to the fact thai
Mr.. Babcock has driven a good bar
gain in these contracts for the people
of the state, and that our roads are
being built under the contract system
at minimum of cost to the taxpayers
He Is to be congratulated on his sue
cess"
In the highway department more
winter work is being prepared fol
early letting. 1t will consist mainly ot
grading and gravelling again and will
be widely distributed over the state.
Cruelty to Pavements
Heavy motortrucks can ruin pave
ments about as fast as they are laid
says the st. Paul Daily News.
AS fast as pavements get stronger
trucks get larger and loads heavier.
The overloaded horse couldn't budgc
too heavy load. If the driver whip
ped him too hard the Society for the
Prevention Of Cruelty to Animals took
a hand.
st. Paul needs a society for the pre-
vention of cruelty to payements.