The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1922-01-18
GOVERNOR ASKS
CARE IN ROAD
EXPENDITURES
Tells Good Roads Men That FL
nancial Conditions Should
Govern Us Now
RAPs FEDERAL PLANS
Says that Complaints Made U.
S. Plan Cost Too Much for
Engineering #
RAPS FEDERAL PLANS

Engineering
Counseling a curtailment OF con-
struction for one or two seasons II
the building of roads in North Dakota
Governor r. A. Nestos spoke to the
convention of the North Dakota Good
Roads Association here last night. IN
his address the Governor touched up
on the high cost Of plans ana super
vision and suggested that time pe
spent in searching for methods Whlcn
would give the state road construc-
tion with minimum amount OF money
spent in overhead and maximum
amount of money spent in efficiently
moving dirt and spreading gravel.
"All people agree as to the need OF
good roads," tho Governor told me
friends of the roads movement at the
end of the annual dinner. "Any per-
son who drives for stretch OF poor
roads onto properly constructed
highway will be as loud in his con-
demnation Of the former as In MS
praise of the latter. 1t Is not ques-
ton. therefore, whether we want good
roads, but whether We are willing 10
do the work, and pay the cost OF get
ting system Of good roads.
$50 much needs to be done IN this
field, however, and the cost is neces-
sarily so great, that many taxpayer
is appalled, at the prospect, but l know
of no county, state or country in which
they have constructed economically a
system of good roads where any man
desires to go back to the days OF the
steep grades and the mud holes. The
telephone and electric lights cost
money, but where is the man who al
ter a years use OF them willingly re-
turns to life without the pleasure
and service they bring.
Poor Ones Cost More
1T is also becoming more and more
appa rent that while it costs to build
a good road, it costs more In the long
run to keep on using a poor one. Much
money has been wasted on the con-
struction and maintenance OF roads
that failed to meet the requirements
of proper highway construction, and
hence were in miserable construction
half of. the time, and when In addl-
tion to this we figure the cost IN
smaller loads, in loss of time and
extra wear upon horses, harness, wa
CONS, automobiles and trucks, the cost
of the poor road becomes enormous,
and this condition on the country ROADS
has been one Of the chief contributing
causes in driving the growing genera
ton away from the country and into
the CITY,"
After showing that the ideal was a
system of roads connecting important
centers with local roads connecting
communities into social, educational
and religious centers, the Governor
continued: -.
but whether these roads are built
by Federal and State aid or the money
raised by local taxation, those inter-
ested in road construction owe duty
to the people of our country, especially
during these times of financial stress,
and that is to construct these roads
as economically as possible, and to
map out the program and 90 the
work in such way as to make the
tax burden of our people as light as
possible and still secure the desired
results.
"Our road program should be such
as to put into road building the bust
ness principles employed in every sue
cessful public and private enterprise Oh
corresponding Importance.
There has been considerable com
plant of the high cost Of the pro
jects built by Federal aid. County
commissioners have told me that the
Federal method of road construction
| is so expensive that they have found
it advisable to build their roads with
out this aid and that they have saved
enough by using methods of construc-
| ton adapted to North Dakota condi'
tions, so not to miss the absence
of Federal aid. 1t is claimed that the
/ department has not taken sufficiently
into account the difference in engi'
neering and road building problems
between territories like the swamps OF
North Carolina, the mountains of Col
orado, the forests of Michigan, ant
the level prairies of North Dakota ant
that toe much OF the cost of our Nortf
Dakota projects goes into blue prints
engineering and supervision.
"These complaints come from man,
quarters, and in such large numbers
as to indicate that there must be a
least measure of justification and {
real grievance. If this be the case
a thorough investigation ought to b.
made for the purpose of discovering
if it would not be possible to provid
a system of road construction for pra
irie states like North Dakota wher
the cost of the blue prints, engineer
ing and supervision and blue print
would not approach the cost of NOV
ing the dirt. This can and must b
: hcorrected In view of the presen
Financial conditions of the Northwest
: and the high taxes burdening our peo
pie, I believe it would be wisdom t
|. curtail the road building program TO
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