The Mankato free press., 1922-01-13
FOR ROADS
URGED BY EXPERT
Programs In the Counties
Should Be Decided
BABCOCK GAVE OPINION
Cooperation Is Necessary to
Obtain The Best Possible
Results

Nearly twice as much money
available now for improvement Of
county and town roads as is pro-
vided regularly for use on the trunk
highways in Minnesota, Charles M.
Babcock, state highway commission
er, this week urged early good roads
conventions in all counties of the
state at which county commission
ers. town supervisors and the coun-
ty highway engineers can agree on
a definite program of CO. operation 10
get the biggest possible results Tor
county town road expenditures.
Blue Earth county can secure a
complete system OF good local roads
in the shortest time and with the
least expense" said Mr.. BabCock.
by adopting a definite plan or sys-
temstac improvement covering sew
eral years and then pooling town
with county funds to carry 1t out
under modern road building meth
DDS, with the right equipment and SO
forth. Funds for local road purpoS-
es-exclusiYe OF trunk highways
in Blue Earth county last year Were
about $350,00 'and the Importance
of prompt action is obvious. Ken
ties already are working with sue
cess in this direction. but l believe
that good roads conventions in these
counties will accomplish much as in
all counties. The plan will end
patchwork road development and the
public will gain in every way.
Consider Road Needs
County and town road authori-
ties and the engineers can consider
at these meetings the needs on ey-
cry county and town road and make
provision for them IN the longer
term program. Township lines
disregards county lines on trunk
route plans. Counties will assist
the towns as the state department
advises and works with the coun-
ties on state aid and other import-
ant undertakings. The town funds
may be pooled with those OF the
county and used under the direction
and better methods can be employed
generally to get bigger results at
less cost, and farmers can be given
more Jobs than in the past.
Public road officials are all work
ing to get the best results now, anC,
1 am confident, will co o-operate to
adopt the new plan and make 1t
yield maximum results. The fault
has been with the old time methots,
not with the efforts of our present
local road authfities."
View of, John n. Mullen ~
John H Mullen. deputy commits
supported the cooperation proposal
with official figures showing the
large funds now provided for road
work in Minnesota.
( Current funds last year in Min
1esota totalled S1$, $,790,000 for local
roads and $8,690,000 for state trunk
highways, Mr.. Mullen said, and the
greater local funds prove that the
Fo-called Babcock plan is mainly a
Taxes brought $10,S43 SS2 OF
county and S6,S62 $50 OF township
funds and $2,OS4, 900 of state aid for
local road purposes, besides $l,30S,
794 of city and village street ant
road funds outside OF St Paul, Min.
neapolis and Duluth.
Regular State Funds
Regular state trunk funds were
made up of motor vehicle taxes and
$2,S40, 900 of federal aid. Consider
able bond money was used last year
but laws under which it was voted
are no longer in effect, and ii IN
cluded the trunk fund total still
would be smaller than that avail
able for the local roads. The local
road mileage is the greater, 1t was
explained, but that is fairly of:ser
by the higher cost of improvements
and maintenance necessary On the
trunk system.
With the liberal funds provided
Mr.. Mullen added, county engineers
will carry out the programs agreed
upon by county commissioners and
town supervisors in systematic plans
and greater efficiency and economy
will follow to give the maximum OF
good results.