The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1921-06-22
Babcock and Aides Starting
Maintenance and New Work
= T.. on Statewide Scale1 ~
ASSISTING COUNTIES
M. In ADVANCING WORK
Farmers Roads to Get First
Consideration, Highway j.
/ Commissioner Says

= MlnneSOta'S highway ueVelopHeHI
program to pull the: state out Of the
mud and into the front ofago0dt roads
ranks, is rapidly passing from the
plan to the actual peri ormance stage,
according to. official figures given
out this week by the state highway
department. &s.. - :.
Road funds from. all sources and
for all purposes in Minnesota this
year will aggregate $26, 1888, 0O0y as
announced, and will include SIS $685.
900 Of automobileatax revenue, feds
eral aid and county.tbond funds for
ues on trunk highways, and $12,5OO,-
600 Of local tax funds and state aid
for improvements and repairs on lat
erals or feeder roads. County bond
funds used, more money will be
available in future years for feeder
than for trunk roads, it was explain
ed. 4 .%
Charles M. Babcock, state highway
commissioner, with John H. Mullen,
assistant commissioner and chief
highway engineer, and other staff
men,. and with the :, cooperation Of
county road autherit ties, is working to
spread benefits as rapidly as possibleis'
The highway program for this season
is well under way, official figures
show, although less than 60 days have
passed since the legislature of 1921
put Good Roads Amendment No. I
inteteffect releasing funds and grant
ing necessary auth ority., rsiiminary
work was done quickly, hoWeveY aitd
big developments are shown during
the last thirty days. -.
"A list, of new construction projects
: oiiasMvliiifelh nearly st, 100000 Of state
ana county funds is:to be- spent and
which G1e located in nearly SO wide
lfascattered sections Of the state was
reeentlysgiven Goat. About So 500, 900
ofIttiese are already under contracts
thu department announced; and a. call
for bids will be made soon on the re-
naming and other projects. ~
The fact that the Babcock plan is
primarily to provide good road to
every Minnesota farm gate and not
merely automobile boulevards, is be-
ing emphasized by the present can't
paign for: good federal aid legisla-
ton. That it makes available ap-
proximately $4,000, COCOA year for the
less expensive though larger system
of feeder roads than for the heavy.
traffic trunk routes has been pointed
out by State highway officials, in. the
movement in which farmers and other
organizations joined later. .ai
Farmers roads get first considera-.
ton under the Minnesota. highway
plan. This is primarily n.agricul-
tural state, and farmers, roads. must
have that place. Anything that will
hinder the farmers. Of the state has
no part in the program" said the
commissioner. J. r.! Y ::
The same policy will apply under
the intent; of the new law regulating
the usesof cleats and lugs on wheels
on Minnesota highways, Commission
er Babcock said;s to allay the Fears OF
threshermen. Mud hooI are Barred
as rule, he explained, but the use
of lugs will be permitted when neces-
Sary. -. = ~. fs& -7e..
Neither the highway department
nor the farmers want roads careless
ly torn up and damaged, and we
count onthe threshermen using good
Judgment to avoid it, he said,