The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1925-12-17
Gives High Lights on the
Minnesota Road Situation
Advantages and Handicaps Affecting
Highway Program Discussed by
Commissioner Babcock

If 1925 improvements on Mime
sofa trunk highways compare favor
ably with those of other years under
the new program in general public
estimation, it is probably because the
state highway department has been
free this year for the first time tc
use available funds for the better
ments most needed to benefit the
largest numbers of road users. AL
though motor vehicle taxes exceed
legislative estimates and were sup
plemented by receipts from the new
gasoline tax, there were no county
reimbursement bond advances this
year. AS result, construction funds
were greatly reduced and improve
ments were curtailed accordingly.
Charles M. Babcock, state high
way commissioner, almost daily is
presenting the foregoing considera,
tons to delegations of citizens from
various parts of the state urging this
needed improvement and that.
"No promise was ever made that
the new program would adequately
improve the entire 1000 miles OF
trunk highways in three or five years
or even ten, but the department now
hopes to virtually complete in ter
years the program now less than five
years old-general conditions being
!! favorable" Mr.. Babcock goes on.
"To the average man, the road he
uses most is the most important road
in the world and it's improvement
should come ahead of those on al
other roads-that is only natural. But
there are other sections often times
which serve greater numbers and have
other claims to preference. Still, there
are few communities more anxious
to secure highway improvements thar
the highway department is to builc
them.
"I am positive that the great ma
jority of Minnesota people want gooC
roads everywhere in the state anc
are willing to pay for them. This de-
partment has made recommendation
for fairer financing and fastening o.
these improvements-bet de
manded by plain economy. The pro
posals would neither increase taxes
nor add to the expense of making the
improvements. Yet these necessar!
provisions have not been made ant
the department is simply going aheat
and doing the best it can under thu
circumstances.
practically all trunk highway
that have been graded under the nev
plan will be surfaced by the end o
this year. This means the final clear
ing up of county Reimbursement
/ bond projects. In many instances tn
bond money met only the cost of grad
ing and threw on the state the burdel
of surfacing with current funds
Reimbursement bonds, which had t
be used within the counties of issue
put some improvements ten year
ahead of the regular order and de
layed others of greater general i'm
pertance. 1t does not follow tina
any county bond money was squan
dered, but it is made plain that sue
limitations should be omitted tina
trunk highway funds may be pu
where most needed"
FIce funds will enable thu depart
m ~. to relieve congestion and reduc
maintenance expenses on routes noN
over burdened, the commissions
said, by making possible the improve
ment of paralleling routes and thu
allowing natural fowage of traffic
Automobile and truck owners .payin
all trunk highway bills and othe
road users will then be better serve
and the general public will be bette
satisfied with results from Minneso
ts.'s now highway program.