The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1929-03-14
FACTS ELIMINATED
| IN HIGHWAY FIGHT
Opponents of BabcOck Plan
Make Observation-Disclosures
Has No Bond Issue
IGNORANT OR WILLFUI
HOOSier State Had Outstand-
ing Indebtedness of $42,-
O95,357 in 1915

"Some newspapers in Minnesota
last week printed an article COM
pairing the highway situation of
Minnesota with that of Indiana.
This item was written and distrib-
uted by members Of the Legisla-
ture who are out to knife the
Highway Department at any COST"
j. E. Reynolds, President of the
Minnesota Good Roads Association,
said at meeting Saturday.
"The article inferred that the
Indiana Highway Commission has
built more and better roads with
less money during the past few
years than the Minnesota Highway
Department. 1t stated that Indiana
has no road bonds and gave her
progress as indisputable evidence
that road bonds would be a mis-
take in this state. We consider it
highly important to correct these
misstatements.
Indiana had a we'll developed
system of graded and graveled
roads prior to the Inauguration of
the Minnesota Trunk Highway
System. From statements in bull
letin issued by the United States
Department of Agriculture in 1917,
we find that on January 1, 1915,
Indiana had $42,O95, 1857 of county
and township road bonds outstand-
ing and had 30,962 miles of sur
faced roads, gravel or better. Min
nesota had at that time $1,411,357
of outstanding road bonds and on
ly 1867 miles of surfaced roads,
few of which were higher class than
gravel.
"The same report discloses that
in 1904 road expenditures in In
diana amounted to $4,335, 1O8,
while in Minnesota the sum was
$1,961, 629. In 1914, Indiana spent
$14, 233,985 and Minnesota spent
Sc, 458,940. In 1904, Indiana spent
$63.46 per mile while Minnesota
spent $24.72. In 1914, Indiana still
led with an expenditure of 1884,
06 against Minnesota's $79.88.
"Last year Indiana spent $16,-
454, 1879. 10 on administration,
maintenance and construction of
her trunk highway system, or 49,
313.40 per mile. Minnesota spent
$15,267,414.O4, or $2,197.7O per
mile, for the same items during the
year.
"The present highway system in
Indiana was inaugurated in 1919
and routes were added gradually
until the present mileage is 1906
81. Minnesota took 6,946.59 miles
into her highway system in 1921.
The Indiana roads were well de-
veloped, a considerable portion of
them being paved and the balance
graded and graveled, while little
more than one-third of the original
Minnesota system was graded or
graveled. The Minnesota High
way Department assumed the pay
ment of interest and principal of
the outstanding bonds. The In
diana Commission did not.
"R. E. Simpson, office engineer
of the Indiana Highway Commits
sion, states in letter to the Min
nesota Good Roads Association,
ON January 1, 1929, we had L.
811.37 miles of rigid type pave
ment.' Of this amount, statistics
show that nearly 500 miles were
complete before the Highway Com
mission was organized and was
turned over to them at that time.
"The Indiana Commission has
paved a larger number of miles
than Minnesota in the last few
years because she has collected as
much or more revenue used on
only 5000 miles, while Minnesota
necessarily spread her highway
money over 1000. This figure
alone would account for the in
crease in miles paved, but add to
that sum the saving in mainten-
ance which was possible on every
mile of that paving and the sur
prising thing is not that Indiana is
ahead of Minnesota, but that she