The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-08-10
n. n HIGHWAY
CONSTRUCTION
COST LOWEST
"NOrth Dakota Highway Bull
letin." Official Publication,
Makes Appearance
STATE ATH IN MILEAGE
Highway Commission viii
Carry Fight for Good Roads
To General Public

a campaign to 'carry the fight"
for good roads in North Dakota to
the general public opened today with
the appearance Of the Highway Bule-
tin, a monthly publication. designed
to interpret to the people Of the
state the progress and achievements
in highway development accomplish
ed by the highway commission, and
to arouse throughout the state a
complete appreciation Of the high
economic value of good roads"
Although the publication is the
official organ Of the highway COM
mission, all expenses are to be paid
from income derived from advertis-
ing and subscriptions.
j. j. Ermatinger, highway commits
sion executive, is editor Of the mag
azine.
A resume of the highway situation
in the state in an article written by
w. &. Black, chief engineer and sec
rotary Of the highway commission,
features the initial number Of the
publication. -
North Dakota up to Dec. 81, 1874
improved 1896 miles of road with
federal aid at the lowest cost per
mile Of any state in the union. Black
points out. The state stands fourth
among the states in the number of
miles Of road construction completed
up to that time.
Governor A, G.. Sorlie is author Of
the opening article IN the "Bulle-
tim
with the appointment of Messrs.
|. J. Moe and Herman Hardt, the
present administration took charge
of the state highway commission,
April Is, 1926" the executive writes.
mo startling changes were made in
the personnel and none are con-
templated.
LAS soon as work conditions per-
nit, we shall endeavor to make q
complete survey Of the entire depart
ment with a view to determining
whether any improvement can be ef-
fectcd in the practices and methods
Of operation"
Highway construction has not been
keeping pace with the demand for
more and better roads, Black said
and definite policy is needed to
meet the situation and secure logi-
cal and economical road construction
Explaining the activities Of the
highway commission Black said:
"'rhe state highway commission, as
at present organized. was created in
1917 and began to function in 1918
Presumptively, if highway commits
sions are the source of extravagant
road building, then the expenditures
for highways should show consider
able increase year after year subse-
quent to 1918 In 1916 and 1917
prior to the existence of the high
way commission, the counties, town
ships and cities combined levied
taxes amounting to $2,984,448 for
1916 and $3,643,54S in 1917. During
the period from 1918 to 1924, or since
the creation of the highway commits
sion, the average annual tax levies
by the same bodies for road purposes
were $4,375;544.53.
No Special Levies
"But as some counties made no
special levies for road purposes nor
any township road levies, but includ-
ed such levies in the general fund,
the average annual expenditure
should be in the neighborhood of
100000.
."From 1918 to 1924 the counties
levied taxes for county roads and
bridges in the sum of $l7,958,304 the
townships $11 100000 and villages
and towns $877,4l6, total of $780,
62s,s11. Except for slight portion
this entire amount was expended for
local roads exclusively and neither
the federal aid authorities nor the
state highway commission had any
voice in it's dispositions.
According to our law every sec
tion line is either an actual or po-
tential road. The total mileage for
Bureau of Public Roads at Washing
ton, d. c., is 1O6,202 miles, the mile
Continued on page four.)