The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-02-16
STATE HASIESS
CASH FOR ROADS
Other { Commonwealth Con
Make Better S',swing
WAAT'STHESTATUS
Interesting 5tatement W!;ieh
cGnt.ains Some Facts and
Figures 9s

AlinneSo.a has icss L:eret Atni!.
ab;o tcGay icr h;gbway imp:ove-
merits than oI:cr. states, excer:
Rhode Island, Daleware, Aaine end
Kew Fampshire. 1t is strsecatcE
it's highway flnds over digger nile
age than other states. It's highway
maintenance costs, ca gsEeiai
superintendent ex2sn1e, atyG t-iosc
OF surveys and plane arc Fellow
those CT the o;iier states.
. FiacinsS aSore are rom {: new
bulletin Issued by the Ua:tcd GtaieS
bufraT of public roads. Tle cflu;:-
Al information IS Ai;.-d < s2ecsL'
iLportancc iT.;;'.I.i,IcE rs LIE J.s,+.'
fIcaisiature iS - determine soor tie
p;ac. MiaaeSota gin cake u: tie
Future afa3ng SuH: IrEaS E.aics.
iaini,eS.;. Eunds At Lew Etb
M,nne;Gta las positively assured
row barely cNouGn judo ID o;eet
the 90 so requirement Fl tie t,1cral
highway all law. Only IGIr II the
stateS--thc smallest IN. area--aave
less available mercy to- Few road
bettermeuts.
But the others. Inc bulletin SHOWS.
are fixed financially to carry or
better roads programs Texas leads
the list with S13,91e,ta4 ready nov
to meet federal aid end speed its
way program: New York is next
with S12,T23,542; then Missouri with
S9.610,000, and Illinois with $780,,
000
the showing is that Minnesota
will be unable TO hold its place
among leaders for good roads with
out arranging TO put its present
funds to the most advantageous use.
Dollar Goes Far Here
Highway funds are made TO go
fartherest in Minnesota, the bulletin
shows, this state spreading fedora
aid over longer mileages OF i'm
provements than others.
SHOWS STATE RANK
Betterments reaching over LOIS
miles OF highways in Minnesota
were made with $1,S50,000 of fedora
aid and a like amount of state
funds. Iowa used s3.530,000. of aid
O3S on 1877; Texes $4,150.325 on TAO:
Mississippi s4,167144 on 230; Penn
sylvania S3,365, 900 on 16S; North
Carolina 100000 on 500; Virginia
$2,077,590 on 248 and so forth. Min
nesota Is not spending less money
per mile, according to this tabulat-
ion, but is not extending its good
roads nileages as rapidly as other
states.
Maintenance Costs Covered
Minnesota is using for mainten
ance averages of S1S1 mile on
earth roads, $500 on gravel surfac
ing and 1927 on paving. Other states
averages are $235 on earth, sos on
gravel and 1894 on paved roads
Higher upkeep cost on Minnesota
gravel roads than the genera!
average for the United States is
held due to the heavy traffic OF
many gravel surfaced parts of the
state highway system. Such gravel
over $4,000 mile in some instances
according to official figures, while
having affording more satisfactory
service would require less than half
that outlay construction cost includ
cd.
Maintenance Expenditures in ex.
cess of $500 Il mile arc held waste
full by the rod engineers of the
various states, the bulletin shows
Seyera! point out that in less than
fifteen wears tho savings possible oil
maintenance and gasoline consumpt-
ion win pay the whole cost and in
teresr on paving where the road
carries more than 1,200 vehicles
daily. a1-a
minnesota observation-disclosures Low
Where the average ;or thirty one
states is 4.S3 yer cent. Minnesota
speeds 1.27 per cen; OF its highway
construction funds foT engineering.
inspection and like items Of ex
pensc. Surveys and plans cost al
average of $3.50 Il mile in the aver
age state and siS5 in Minnesota In
this state surveys average SIZE a.
mil" and plans SEQ IL mile compared
Win $40 AID SGS average in ;iine
states giving the items seDaraIck.
gathered by the federal bureau OF
public reads was to- furnish a guide
for the various states III dsternin.
jig reasonable allowances for vari-
Gus items and much technical data
IS attached. r..