Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1928-01-19
OPINIONS OF OTHERS
ROADS AND SNOW FLOWING

Editor Askov Americana:
| have lived on state aid road No.
II for the past several years--in Nor
man township. This road has not
been graded or built. However the
county did little maintaining or
this road but you all know how much
good maintaining will do if the road
has not been built. Yet we never
complained, knowing the financial
condition our county is in. But we
are living in hopes that some day we
might get little work done on this
road, if the county commissioners can
see that the money can be spared.
We have already helped Mr.. Abra-
hanson build and gravel his road.
And now he wants us to keep the
snow off so he can travel where we
can't even get out in the summer
time. Let us be fair, Mr.. Abraham
son. We are also taxpayers. Perhaps
you think because you are business
man at Cloverdale and your road is
built and graveled that us farmers
don't need any roads. Yes, we need
roads, we need snow blowing too. We
are maintaining school vans, we kept
the roads open for these buses at our
own expense which is done gratis,
and yet we are not kicking because
we know that the county can spend
the money for a more useful pur-
pose than snow blowing. You say that
Chisago county has two snow pillow
outfits. Chisago county is only one
third the size of Pine county, yet they
need two outfits. How many outfits
factory work? You seem to think
that Commissioner Stepan has eX-
aggerated the cost in his estimate.
| think he is way too low in his esti-
mate, as one tractor alone costs ap-
proximately 100000 and snow
pillow $2,5OO.OO or 100000. Snow
fences cost from $3.50 to $500 per
rod | understand it costs about
$4,000 a day to run one of those trac-
tors and crew. So you just stop and
figure and you will find that it's no
81 900 proposition as you say. Per-
udpS yOu dI USIlCi a. HSuiC CD luoil
| am.
l see you are also boasting of your
low tax rate, 48.9 mills. Would say
you are very fortunate. We have in
our locality 1915 mills. Permit me
to make a suggestion, Mr.. Abraham
son. Since your township is in such
fine financial condition we would not
object if you or your town buy snow
pillow and pillow out your own roads,
and then rent it to other townships
or even the county at $500 per mile.
l think you will have plenty to do,
and at your own figures can make
some money. l know that nearly
all towns will hire your snow pillow
at $500 per mile. Otherwise if the
county goes into snow blowing the
| township roads and mail routes will
not be plowed because these roads are
| generally too narrow, rough, and
bridges will not carry up the heavy
outfit. So those poor fellows would
only get the increase in taxes and
same condition is true of most of our
state aid roads which have not yet
been built, and we have lots of them
yet to be built.
Conditions are a little different
here than they are in southern Pine
county. We helped build your state
aid roads in the southern part of the
county. Ours are not yet built. The
county has been bonded for this
work. We are helping to pay as we'll
as those that already have the roads
built. You will notice the road and
bridge fund is again overdrawn about
| $5,270.0O, so we don't blame Commits
sioner Stepan in going slow, as he
can see that the county is not in
shape to go into snow blowing. Let
us rather urge our commiss toner's to