The Fargo Forum And Daily Republican

WORK WITH A GRADER NEEDED IN FARGO

It is high time that something was done to remedy the dirt road situation within the city limits of Fargo. At the present time, when the whole northwest is working and planning for better roads, it is a notorious fact that the poorest roads to be found in this part of the country are within the limits of the city of Fargo. The situation at the present time, with thousands of visitors here from all sections of the northwest, is little short of a civic disgrace.

The excuse cannot be given that it is not possible to get and keep these roads in better shape. The county commissioners are keeping miles and miles of just such roads in splendid condition. Drive in almost any direction from Fargo and after you get over the bumps and rough spots that extend for a mile or two from the end of the paving, the roads are splendid.

Such a condition not only gives Fargo a great deal of adverse advertising, but it is an actual detriment to every merchant in the city. The Forum is convinced that a great deal of trade is lost to the city because of this condition. There has been no end of complaints about this from farmers who live near the city and whose natural trading center is Fargo.

It is not necessary to wait until these streets which are too far out to be paved are graveled or given a hard surface of some other kind. A little work with a grader at the right time would keep them in splendid condition. The trouble simply is this work is not done.

In a short time a number of automobile tourists will pass through this section of the country. They are coming through Minnesota to reach Fargo. In the vicinity of Fergus Falls and down about Audubon and Lake Park, they are going to find some excellent roads. Minnesota is certainly showing that it knows how to handle the good road situation. And inside those cities the roads are kept as good and generally better than the fine country highways that have been constructed.

Coming on to Moorhead they will find splendid graveled roads radiating from Fargo's sister city. But on reaching Fargo, they will roll over her splendid paving, get an excellent impression and then this impression will be jarred out of them with a jolt as they bump the bumps on pulling out of the city before they get onto the roads they are kept up by the county.

Isn't it about time that Fargo purchased some good road graders and set several crews at work getting these roads in shape? And the first job that should be looked after is that strip of road on North Broadway, from the paving to the fair grounds. A few hours' work with a road grader would work wonders with that piece of road - the most used of any roadway within the jurisdiction of Fargo outside the paving district.