The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-05-05
GOOD ROAD PLAN
GIVEN HIGH PLACE
ONE YEAR OF BABCoCK EFF,
FORT is RECORDED
FINE WORK BEEN DONE
Considerable Labor Performed
Lifting Minnesota Out of
Mud Is Some Task

~uu - SOAhS = uHSn
The Babcock Sood roads plan,
adopted under amendment No. l TO
pull Minnesota out of the mud, has
been in effect just one year.
The Sttae highway development
program was made effective April
%. 1921, alter Governor J. A. o.
freus signed the new highway le-
Sislation and re-appointed Charles
NJ. Babcock state highway commits
Sioner launch the new plan he de-
vised. John II. Mullen, chief engin E
Ger, was named first assistant com
missioner and the highway execu
tiveS at once began organizing and
spreading road betterments, start
ing at the zero mark. Within sixty
days nearly 1000 patroimen, one TO:
each FIVE mile average section, were
put at work and hundreds of miles
of new construction was placed un :
der contract.
A bulletin from the state highway
department contains the following
summary of progress during the first
twelve months period:
Grading completed on SIS miles
and contracted for 3S6 additional
miles, and reshaping done on 1,l31
miles of the 1.499 mile total listed
as graded on the 1000 mile system
when taken over from the counties,
Gravel surfacing completed on
555 miles and contracted for GIG
additional miles, and re- suTacing
done on SIS miles of the 1871 mile
total listed by counties as graveled
at the state Lsart
Paving completed on 1l6 miles
and contracted on 123 miles, com
pared with 112 miles of pavement
on the 1000 mile system when TAX
en- over.
Maintenance provided on $3.50
miles of designated trunk routes
well equipped patrol service on
each smile average stretch aug
mented 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
showing in spite OF reductions In
available funds.
Administration facilitated by &C
QUESTION OF building erected ex-
pressly for department and leased
at less than half previous rental
well below 5 per cent level.
The anniversary bulletin follows
others to keep the public fully in
formed about road plans and pro-
gress. Maps and graphs have been
issued to show Low and where fund )
are being used and wide distribu
tion of new construction that the
largest possible number of localiti-
es may share in permanent i'm =
PFovement as well as general main
tenance benefits. Official figures
disclosed that 70 out of the IS coun
= ties in the state received trunk
route betterments costing moro
than their respective totals of mo
ter vehicle tax payments by an av
erage ratio of S. to 81, and that
trunk routes in the other counties
were either in excellent condition or
ment.
The Two Handicaps
Commissioner Babcock referre
to two handicaps confronting the
department during the first year:
failure of fund revenues to reach ex
pected totals and inability TO take
advantage Of bargain prices offered
by contractors to extend needed
road improvements. He explained
that the plan was based on the ex
pectation that not less than $S,840,
600 would be provided annually
S6,e00.000 OF motor vehicle tax
money and S2.S40. 900 OF federal aid
The first annual fund was S7.730, 900
the automobile tax averaging less
than S1675 instead OF $18 and pro-
ducing $500, 900. and congress hay
ing reduced the aid appropriation
onI Minnncoto'o ~,
to $4,000 The second year pro
misses even less federal aid, pending
proposals at Washington to afford
only S1,420,0 900. and no increase is
predicted in the tax revenue. Fol-
those reasons the trunk funds fol-
the first two years will be S14,750,
600 or nearly $1,000, 900 less thar
was expected and only about q third
of the total provided for use on the
local or secondary roads according
TO official figures.
Fund curtaAments Offset to some
extent by lower costs on road work
highway officials express conf
dence that the department will sue
coed in continuing the showings
made in the first year. In this con
nection Mr.. Babcock again express
ed regret that the state is prevented
larging its highway program to take
special advantage Of the low prices
concurring in the opinion of experts
that road construction, soon will
begin to advance in cost.
The commissioner also pointed
out that more than 80 cents oil
every trunk highway dollar has beer
rscd for grading gravel surfacine
and maintenance. The mileage OF
new paving has been run up with
reimbursement funds which can be
used only in the county issuing the
bonds and with the approval OF the
county commissioners. MANY coun
ties by furnishing bond money also
obtained preference for their trunk
route Improvements projects.
Another important feature Of the
bulletin refers to the further result
of Minnesota's new good roads plan
in the improvement of local road:
by the use of state aid and loca
tax money. a large part of which
was used formerly on highways the
state is now improving and main.
tanning: