The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1938-10-06
GOVERNOR BENSON'S STATEMENT

QOeSu IGSdIu IL DIS pOl IduI Is lOC
surprising in view OF events at the recent
Legislative session but does throw cold water
on a reform in government which his party
has favored since non-partisan league days.
A reform party, the Farmer-Labor par
ty from it's beginning naturally opposed the
SpOllS system. Once In, however, it has made
tull use of the precedents set by older par
ties, with just as damaging effect upon good
government.
Opposition today to civil service is con-
fined to party leaders and is the result of the
practical realization that employees, once
their jobs are secure, will lose interest in
party politics to a large extent and the ma
Jority will find other uses for the percent
age of their salaries now quite generally
paid into the educational fund" which pays
campaign expenses. That the state will get
greater efficiency in its departments when
now is side issue.
We have always questioned the value
of the spoils system and the resulting ma
chine in politics. The history of machines
is that they collapse of their own weight.
The average appointment of a faithful fol-
lower to lucrative position pleases one
family or group but leaves larger group
disappointed and disgruntled. No party has
been able to remain IN power once bad gov
eminent, resulting quite directly from the
system, became notorious.
The party which eventually Institutes
real civil service and gives voters better
government may have better success in
keeping the reins.
T. H. 90 NEEDS IMPROVING
1t is we'll known fact that Trunk High
way No. SO, which runs from Redwood Falls
to Sleepy Eye via Morgan and Evan needs
reconstructing The Messenger is of the opin-
lon that the business groups of these points,
and other citizens, should form associa-
ton to present the needs of No. SO to the state
highway commissioner, and continue on the
job until the objective is accomplished
Just recently the Morgan Commercial
club appointed Better Roads committee con-
sisting of DR.. E. w. Wahlberg, c.. M. Davis
and Nels Rams, which committee could form
the nucleus of the No. SO association and
secure the cooperation of groups in the other
cities mentioned. We feel certain that Red
wood Falls, Sleepy Eye and Evan will be glad
to cooperate in this worthy movement. The
local Commercial club be depended upon
to back its Better Roads committee to the
fullest extent.
The last year that No. SO was state aid
road the Redwood county commissioners plan
ned to reconstruct the portion from Morgan
to Gilfillan because the board and county
highway department felt that it needed i'm
proving. That winter it was taken into the
state trunk system and reconstruction was
tabled
1t has come to knowledge that when
it was a state aid road the county highway
census revealed that the road was the heav-
lest Travelled state aid road in the county, and
in fact at the last county census carried more
han
county. Since it became part of the trunk
system traffic has increased. A biased road
as No. SO is from Morgan to Redwood always
makes a handy cutoff and picks up extra
traffic on that account
Surveys file for improving the
road, and there would be no expensive out
lays necessary in the Observation-Disclosures
Messenger
Redwood Falls certainly should have no
hesitation in joining highway 90 associa-
ton and standing with Morgan and other
towns along the route in calling attention
to the need for work on that road Not only
is it heavily travelled but the travel would
increase were it properly graded and sur
faced so that dust and loose gravel condi-
lions now prevalent would be removed
Fortunately for the directors of the
proposed association, highway 90 is brief,
which relieves the highway department of
the necessity of facing delegations from
other sectors once portion is under con-
struction Being a diagonal route it has
no rivals except as all state highways COM
pete with it for funds.
Grading of highway II is underway
and the new route will have to be surfaced
it it is to be maintained. Experience with
blacktop on other portions of the route in
dicates it must be paved if maintenance is
to be economical. Redwood Falls road en-
thuslasts can continue to urge completion
OF II while helping to see that SO is not
longer neglected.
WE HADN'T HEARD, UNTIL HE
was invited to California to campaign for it,
That Francis Shoemaker was Downey Pen
sion plan enthusiast. But of course travel
is broadening.
BACK FROM THE LEGION CON-
vcntlon, the Winters report it was hot in
Los Angeles. Still having "such UNUSUAL
weather"