Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1922-01-13
URGES C0UNTY?T0WN
ROAD ADC0-0PERATI0Nz

BABcocK SAYS GET BIGGER BE-
SUITS ON LOCAL ROADS WITH
PRESENT FUNDS
Morrison county, with other counties
in the state, can secure complete sys-
tenn of good roads in the shortest
time and with least expense by adopt
ing, definite program of systematic
improvement; pooling it's road and
bridge funds with those of the town
ships, and applying modern roadbuild-
ing methods.
Charles NJ. Babcock, state highway
commissioner, this week made the fore
going statement, and recommended
call for an early convention in each
county at which county commissioners
and the supervisors from every town
ship may meet with the county high
way engineer to work out definite
systematic plan Of county good roads
development. By ending common patch
work PRACTICES he added, the proposed
plan will produce the greatest results
and biggest measure possible from the
money used.
Funds available for roads other than
trunk highways in Morrison county
last year exceeded 100000, he said,
indicating the Importance Of prompt
action Good roads conventions are
being recommended even to counties
which already are operating with sue
cess under the plan. .-
minnesota county and township
road funds combined are now consider
ably larger than the trunk highway
fund total,'' said Mr.. Babcock. "While
the trunk mileage is less, it requires
more costly improvements and main
tenance, and all things considered, local
road improvements should easily keep
pace with those on the trunk routes. We
are suggesting the county roads con-
ventions because we believe great ac-
complishments possible from county
town cooperation"
Commissioner Babcock made it plain
that the criticism is drawn by the prac-
tees Of long standing, and not by the
efforts OF che county or town road
authorities whom he credited with
earnest work to get results.
"County and town road officials in
convention with the highway engineer
should agree upon definite plan of
road improvements based upon the &C.
tual needs and Importance of each
road and! extending over three or more
years. said Mr.. Babcock. "They
should then pool town with county
funds to carry it out. Better methods,
heavier equipment and SO forth, and
the systematic plan can be combined
for economy and best results-increased
satisfaction for taxpayers and even
more road jobs for farmers.
"Just as the trunk highway project
| disregard county lines, so will town
! lines disappear from the best county
plans, and as the state highway de-
partment advises and assists counties
with state aid and other work, so will
the counties help the townships"
I Current funds in Minnesota last year
totalled 1870, ,529 for local roads en-
tirely under county and town control,
and $S,690,000 for trunk highways un-
der the state department, according to
official figures by John II. Mullen. t
To $10,843,6S of county and $6,-
s62, $50 Of town tax was added $2,O84;-
coo of state aid to make up the local
road total That was exclusive of
$1,SOS,794 Of street and road funds in
the cities and villages outside Of st.
Paul, Minneapolis and Duluth. Motor
vehicle taxes of about $5,750,000
and federal aid of $2,s4o,000 represent
ed the trunk total, aside from reim-
bursement bond funds estimated at
/ $6,250,000 voted by counties under laws
no longer in effect.
$50 it is plain,' said Mr.. Mullen,
"that the great sums raised for local
road work should be we'll used; also
that the Babcock plan is mainly a farm
| er's road plan, the so-called farm road
funds exceeding the trunk funds even
in 1921 when the big part of the bond
! money was used.'
/ County Auditor McNairy believes
Mr.. Babcock plan very good one as
a general proposition but he doubts
whether the plan could be worked out
satisfactorily in Morrison county at
present on account Of the great varia-
tion in the amount of road taxes lev
led by the townships. He states, how
ever, that the present system, which is
but a program Of expensive patchwork
for which there is nothing to show,
should be supplanted by some plan
whereby real consistent program of
roadwork will be carried out. Few
townships have proper road building
or maintenance machinery, he stated,
and if the work were handled through
the county aud county machinery used,