The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1941-04-17
The Urge for Betterment;
An Eternal Question:

The recent decision of Getty Township
farmers and the more recent plan of Sank
Centre Township to follow suit in a bond
election for the purpose of building all town.
ship roads now, and use them while they
are paying for them, has merited lead edi-
torial in the st. Cloud Times.
The action of these farmers to pull
themselves out of the mud, may be obnoxious
to those who do not favor the continuance
of township government or home rule But
we see it as the age-old urge for betterment
of conditions, and an effort to secure for
themselves those things to which they are
rightfully entitled to, if they wish to pay
for them.
There is point at issue, which we be-
lieve the Times has overlooked, but of which
the farmers of this community are we'll
aware. Each year the townships vote funds
for road and bridge building, and according
to the information of township officers the
amounts set aside for that purpose, and
which are raised through taxation, approx
mate between $4,000 and $4,000. These funds
have been used to repair and build roads in
piecemeal fashion, and each spring the labor
Is lost, because, they state, the roads have
not been properly built. Thus, they feel that
with proper road construction, with plan
to build all roads, they will be able to save
considerable money each year. Haphazard
work, it is said, has cost the townships plen-
ty in the past and they intend to rectify
that system now.
These farmers are fully aware that they
are taking upon themselves an obligation,
but they feel equal to the task, and with the
savings they will obtain through the plan,
feel that the expenditure is justified. This
past winter has proven to them that it is
futile to expect to clear the snow from roads,
which are not built up, and they do not in
tend to wait for the legislature or any other
governmental unit to pull them out of the
mud.
Todd County has built up most of it's
township roads and through an agreement
with township and county officials has work
ed out plan for snow removal which has
proven satisfactory to most of the farmers
of the county. Such plan can be adopted
in Stearns, regardless of horse and buggy
highway laws.
The Herald has always urged economy
in governmental units, however, we could
not justly say that our farmers are mort
gaging their farms in attempting to build
up roads for better travel for themselves
and their families. In view of the fact, that
men who know, all of them farmers, have
pointed out the possibility for saving which
would not materially increase their taxes,
we believe they would be penny wise and
pound foolish not to adopt the plan they
have outlined for themselves.
This, however, is their decision. These
people have the right to build their roads or
leave them as they are. These are their
roads and they must travel over them. In
the meantime, they can use their efforts to
make it easier for them to maintain and
build roads thru funds obtained from other
sources, but, we believe, they will not be
willing to subjugate township government,
the basis of democracy, through such action.