Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1922-04-26
.BABCOCK GOOD
ROADS PLAN PASSES
FIRST mile POST

First Anniversary Bulletin Totals Bet
terments Spread in IL Months and |
Those of Record a; Beginning
The Babcock Good Roads plan,
adopted under Amendment No. to
pull Minnesota out of the mud, has,
been in effect just one year. h
The state highway development pro-
, gram was made effective April %,
1921, after Governor j. A., O.. Preus
signed the new highway legislation
and re-appointed Charles NJ. Babcock
state highway commissioner to launch
| the new plan he devised. John H.
| Mullen, chief engineer, was named
! first assistant commissioner and the
! highway executives at once began or
ganizing and spreading road better
ments. starting at the zero mark.
Within 60 days nearly 1000 patrol
men, one for each S mile average Sec
ton, We're put at work and hundreds
of miles of new construction was
placed under contract.
a bulletin from the state highway
department contains the following
summary Of progress during the first
12-months period:
Grading completed on S15 miles and
contracted for 1856 additional miles,
and reshaping done on 1,131 miles Of
the 1,499-mile total listed as graded
, ON the 7,OO0-mile system when taken
over from the counties.
| Gravel Surfacing completed on 555
miles and contracted for 626 addition
al miles, and re-surfacing done on
1856 miles of the 1,37l-mile total listed
by counties as graveled at the state
start.
Paving completed on 116 miles and
contracted on 123 miles, compared
with 112 miles of pavement on the
7,OOO-mile system when taken over.
Maintenance provided on 1855 miles
OF designated trunk ENTHUSIASTICALLY
ped patrol service on each 5-mile av-
erage stretch augmented with special
operations by big truck and tractor
fleets.
Contracts awarded at low record
prices which afford big savings over
costs in past years and enable the
department to continue progress show
ing in spite of reductions in available
funds.
Admin1stra ton facilitated by acqui-
sition Of building erected expressly for
, department and leased at less than
half previous rental rate; administra-
ton expenses kept we'll below 5 per
|cent level.
The anniversary bulletin follows
others to- keep the public fully in
formed about road plans and prog
ress. Maps and graphs have been is
sued to show how and where funds
are being used and wide distribution
of new construction that the largest
possible number of localities may
share in permanent improvement as
we'll as general maintenance benefits.
| Official figures disclosed that 70 Sout
of the Sc counties in the state re-
ceived trunk route betterments cost
ing more than their respective totals
of motor vehicle tax payments by an
average ratio Of IS to 81, and that
trunk routes in the other counties
were either in excellent condition or
listed for early permanent improve
ment. .--E - II
Commissioner BabcOck referred to
1.-TWO handicaps confronting the depart
ment during the first year: Failure of
fund revenues to reach expected to-
tails and inability to rake advantage
of bargain prices offered by contrac-
tors to extend needed road improve
ImNpts. He explained that thc plan
was based on the expectation that NOT
less than $S,34OC0G woull be- pro
i vided annually 900 of motor
vehicle tax money and S2,S40.0OO fed
eral aid. The first annual fund was
81, $50, 900, the autOmolila tax aver.
Tagging less than $500 instead Of SIS
and producing $5,600,00O, and con
gress having reduced the aid appropri-
alton and cut Minnesota apportiOn:
ment to $2,13O,O0O. The second, year
promises even less federal ala, pend.
ing proposals at Washington to afford
only 81, 100000, and no increase is
predicted in the tax revenue. Fol
those reasons the trunk funds for the
first two years will be SD, 750, 900 OF
nearly $3,OOO,OOOs less than was ex
pected and only about third of the
total provided for use on the local OF
secondary roads, according to Official
figures.
Fund curtailments offset to some ex
tent by lower costs on road work
highway officials express cQnfdenct
that the department will succeed il
continuing the showings made in thu
first year. In this connection Mr.
Babcock again expressed regret thai
the state is prevented by financial
limitations from enlarging it's high
way program to take special advant
age of the low prices, concurring 1r
the opinion Of experts that road con
rstructiOn soon will begin to advance
: in cost.
The commissioner also pointed on
that more than 80 cents of ever.
trunk highway dollar has been uset
: for grading, gravel surfacing ant
maintenance. The mileage of neV
paving has been run up with REIN
bursemellt funds which can be uset
only in the county issuing the bond
and with the approval of the count.
commissioners. Many counties b!