The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-01-12
PUSH GOOD ROADS
CASE IS PLANNED
Mobilize Forces To Educate
People Of State
NO. TAX INCREASE
Bonding Scheme Would Provide
Funds In Advance, the Ad-
vocates Declare

of defeat for Minnesota's good roads
paving project through public mis-
Interpretation of facts from perusal
of Governor Preus' message TO the
legislature, st. Paul and state Of
fcials and other advocates of better
highways Thursday prepared TO mo-
Billie their forces for. a campaign
that will carry the Babcock program
TO victory.
On every hand was expressed the
feeling that the need OF good roads
never was greater than al present
with the prospect of the greatest in :
dustrial development IN the states,
history at hand; with the spectacu-
lar growth OF motor transportation
tor short haul freight and passen-
ger traffic giving promise OF even
greater increase in the next few
years; and with tourist travel be-
coming one OF the latest revenue
producing businesses in the North
west.
States Position Periled
Without an adequate system OF
hard surfaced roads, Minnesota Will
drop from the van OF wide awake
states into the list or laggards and
soon will be far outdisLanced by
those who have seen the vision OF
progress and have followed it, these
good roads men assert.
The $2U,0OU,U00 program for the
next two years, $1V,OUJ,000 a year,
proposed by Charles M. Babcock,
commissioner OF highways, is alb
solutely essential ii the state even
is to keep in the race, it was point
ed out and figures showing amounts
being spent in other states were
produced i'll support OF the state
ment. In Alabama, $25,0O0,0V0 In
bonds are to be issued TO build bet
ter roads; in California, $4,000 900;
Missouri, $100,000,000; New Jersey,
$40,O00,Ooo; North Carolina, S5o,-
100000; Pennsylvania S10,0ee,0 /;
tennessee, $4,000, 0OO, and Texas,
0,O00, 0eO. All OF them with great
er BOND issues promised than Is Of
fered for Minnesota, it was shown
three OF them with i've times as
large a program. r...
Decries Increased Taxes
In his message to the legislature,
Governor Preus lauded good roads
development but described 1ncreaS-
ed road taxes which, he sa i'd, must
necessarily follow. While the eco
nomic value Of good highways is
generally conceded, their conStruc-
lions should not be pushed too rapidly
lest the burden on the taxpayer be-
come so great that it will retard de-
yelopment along other lines" the
Governor said.
This outline of the case by the
Governor apparently. was given
without a full acquaintance OF the
facts these friends OF the roads,
who also are friends of the gov
ernor, declared. In Commissioner
Babcock's proposal there is no sug-
gestion that taxes should be in
creased to meet the expense. A plan
OF financing is offered by means or
which the work all will be done
quickly and be in use within a few
years instead of being done IN the
next ten or twenty years while the
cos will be taken up over the long
er period.
This will be done by means Of
bond issues. And it is not intended
that the bonds shall be met by
general taxation; both principal
and interest of these bonds are to
be met out of the automobile taxes
err Babcock declares. And he has
made no request and intends to
make none for an increase 10 the
automobile tax.
Better To DO Work Now
No advantage can be gained by
putting of this development of our
highways, according to good roads
advocates. They say it is better to
proceed at once with this work and
take advantage OF a comparatively
slack time with the contractors than
to wait until business is booming
and the state must compete with in
dustry for the services Of contract
ors, labor, and for material.
The state is on the verge of this
boom, it was predicted, and the
building of these highways viii
hasten it, steady it when it comes,
make is lasting after 1t is here.
There is need of economy IN
public office now as always" said
Mayor Arthur E. Nelson Thursday
night. 81 to believe, however, that
failure to build hardsurfaced high
ways would be false economy. Nor
do I believe that the building OF
good roads should wait until better
times have arrived. Prices are on a
pre-war basis and there does not
seem to be much hope for further
reduction. a..---
the Babcock plan of developing our
highways as by far the most eco
nomical." H..
Campaign Is Planned
nfharS dozen Of them aXpreSSed