The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-11-04
STATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM DESIGNED
OSERVE FARMER MORE THAN ANY
OTHER CLASS, BULLETIN STATES

Inc state highway system today as
Ear as completed and when fully con
structed will serve the farmer more
than any other class Of people and
he within easy reach Of every farm
~ the state. according to an article
appearing in the October number Of
the Highway Bulletin Answering the
question, "Whom do the State High
ways Really Serve?'', the Bulletin
story points out that at present the
cost of building the state roads is
borne almost solely by the auto own
CT through his auto license and gaso-
line fees and that direct taxation
plays little or no part therein. Also.
that the II largest cities i'm the state
with total population Of 9s,iO1 in
habitants represents 1853 per cent
Of the entire state and that the re-
naming 299 cities and villages total
ing 125,421 residents represent an
other 1876 per cent wh9le the country
districts ACCOUNT for 65 per cent Of
the states population of Gallo in
hahitants as shown by the 1925 state
census. There is about one automobile
for every four persons in the state,
based on the total auto registration,
and on this basis city pay one-third
although they receive no immediate
or direct benefit thcrcfrom. or Ger
tainly not in proportion to those re-
siding in the agricultural districts.
Improvement Of city streets are paid
70. by city taxes or assessments.
Tourist Road Use Negligible
Answering the oft repeated state
ment that highways are tourist roads
and built for that purpose, the article
points out that the 1926 traffic cen
sna taken by the state highway de-
partment in July, 1925, showed only
Is per cent of the cars AS coming from
another state while the 1926 traffic
census showed n per cent foreign
cars on the road AS these census
counts were made in July when the
tourist traffic is the heaviest, the
average tourist use Of the state rOodS
during the entire year is much less.
The article also calls attention to
the fact that each traffic census was
taken on such highways. as are most
used by tourists and not for every
state road in the state. We're the
latter the ease, the percentage even
in the month of July would be- much
smaller. The Bulletin writer defines
Il tourist ear as one bearing u foreign
registration as North Dakotan
travelling from one place to another
point in his own state whether on
pleasure VI business cannot be de-
fined properly as tourist es-
pccially since he contributes one
third or more to the cost Of building
and maintaining the road he is using.
1t claims. too. that tourists are an as
set rather than liability and cites
the experience OF such states as Min
lnes0t:. and Wisconsin.
/ Selection Of State Roads
By reason of the fact that county
boards participated in the selection OF
the entire state highway system and
through their contribution Of rs pei
cent to the cost Of their Improvement
the article states county boards really
determine what, how and when state
roads shall be improved; also, fha,
lcounty boards initiate all highwa,
|construction. County boards arc pri
marily representatives Of the rura
communities. The article claims tina
neither the boards Of county commits
sioners nor the state highway commits
sion has been remiss in protecting tn,
,aqgricultural interests and points on
!. that the state highway system con
lstitutcs only seven PET cent Of tn,
. entire roads of the state. These be
cause of their Importance and use q
artcrial highways must Of necessit,