The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1922-11-09
OUTLINE WINTER
ROAD PROGRAM
Bids Asked on More Than $50 Miles
of Crawling, also Grading
and New Bridge.
WILL EMPLOY 1000 MEN
Large Cities Wish to Use Portion of
Motor Vehicle Tax Money on
The Arteria1 Streets.

Charles M. Babcock, state highway
commissioner, this week announced a
program of winter work on the trunk
highways covering more than $50
miles Of gravel surfacing, some grad
ing improvements and several new
bridges. Bids are to be opened on
November % at the rented headquar-
tiers of the highway department in st.
Paul. Work is to be pushed as fast
as conditions will permit under plan
to put the newly improved sections in
the best shape by spring, according to
John H. Mullen, assistant commits
sioner and chief highway engineer.
The winter program of highway
work is in line with the policy inaug-
urated year ago to furnish employ
ment to farmers and teams when it is
most needed in many localities. The
jobs listed are estimated to take the
labor of more than 1000 men and
teams, or proportionate numbers of
trucks and drivers, during the greater
part Of the winter. They are under
taken following showings last winter
that road work, notably crawling,
can be carried on advantageously and
at lower cost than during regular con-
struction seasons. Is
The crawling surfacing will cover
many jobs of new grading, making the
latter foundation work which took
about 40 per cent of trunk highway
construction funds to date more no.
ticeable to the average driver who
judges road generally by the surface
and riding qualities. It will practical
ly complete all projects started to
date, rounding out road results for
the first two calendar years under the:
Babcock good roads plan.
It is reported Minneapolis, St. Paul
and Duluth will request the next legis-
lature to refund part of the motor
vehicle tax money for use on arterial
streets in those cities. Under the Bah
cock plan the funds now are used ex-
clusively on the trunk highways out
side those cities.
Postponement of Nicollet avenue
paving in Minneapolis followed the
proposal of legislative fight and
the agitation for change of laws
started in st. Paul at political rally.
Twin City business men stated that
car owners in Minneapolis, St. Paul
and Duluth pay approximately $4,000
900 year in automobile and truck
taxes which goes on highways outside
those cities stopping at the city
limits. They declared that provision
should be made for state Improvement
of truck highways running through
the large as we'll as the small cities
and villages and the rural districts.
1t was stated further that under the
state aid law for financing local road
improvements, Hennepin, Ramsey and
st. Louis counties pay nearly four
times as much as they receive in re-
turn while other counties gain accord
ingly.
The state highway bulletin states
there is little prospect of any change
at this time to extend trunk highway
Improvement inside the three large
cities. The advantage to the smaller
cities, villages and rural sections,
however, will continue only so long
as present provisions stand and will
be affected to some extent by action of
the legislature in providing funds for
the state highway program during the
next two years.