The Mankato Free Press

THE IMPROVEMENT OF ROADS.

Probably no governor in this country has taken a greater interest in the question of improving our country roads than has Gov. Flower, of New York. He has given the subject a great deal of study and has at all times advocated that no legitimate expense is too great which will give us first class roads at all seasons of the year. In the current North American Review he has an article on "How to Improve our Roads," in which he discusses the question as thoroughly as it can be in a short article. The practical question of road improvement, he says, is, how to get at it. He then discusses the matter under four heads - national, state, county and town roads. National roads he dismisses at once as entirely impractical in this age of the world. In early days there might have been some justification for federal highways, but in this age of steam and electricity he finds none.

In the question of state roads he finds several strong reasons why such a plan might be adopted, but, thinks as a whole the objections outweigh the considerations in their favor. His idea of the matter is that the question of improving our roads is one that should be put entirely in the hands of the counties and towns. He would abolish the "working" system, and make all road taxes payable in money, and all roads which are cared for by the town to be constructed under the care of a town highway commissioner and a town engineer. But the town system ought, he thinks, to be joined with the county system, as some towns are not apt to be as progressive in the matter of road building as others, and this would have more or less of a depressing effect upon surrounding towns. In his opinion the county system "offers the wisest and most feasible plan yet suggested for securing good highways. It avoids the dangers of the state system and the probable failure of the town system. It respects local feeling as regards the amount of money to be expended and the location of the roads. It comprehends a territory with common interests of modern geographical limits, and so homogeneous in its aggregation of towns that a network of market roads could be readily mapped out and provision made for their construction without conflict of jurisdiction or of purpose, and without exciting jealousies by the exhibition of favoritism."

Referring to the road legislation in New York last year he says:

"Legislation enacted last spring in New York illustrates more clearly the features of the county road system. The law is simple and optional. It provides that the board of supervisors of any county may, by a majority vote formally adopt the county road system and shall then designate as county roads such highways as they may deem best for the purpose outside the limits of incorporated villages and cities. The intention of the law is that, as far as possible, those designated county roads shall be the leading market roads of the county. Thereafter the expense of rebuilding or maintaining these county roads is to be a county charge, and the necessary amount of money for this purpose is to be appropriated each year by the board of supervisors. It may be little or much according to their judgment or the wishes of their constituents. All repairs or improvements thus authorized are to be extended under the supervision of a competent county engineer, whose appointment by the board is provided for, the purpose of the appointment being to secure intelligent road builders under the direction of a scientific expert. The engineer and board of supervisors are to have sole jurisdiction over these county highways, and the town highway commissioners are to have their own powers restricted to this extent.

This plan it would seem would have a tendency to cause all towns to build a good system of level roads in connection with these roads, which would result in giving each county a splendid system of roads. This law provides that county road bonds may be issued to provide the necessary funds to build such county highways, the said bonds not to run for more than twenty years; nor bear more than 5 per cent. interest. This enables a county to commence a comprehensive system of road improvement and to distribute the cost equitably through a series of years and also put a portion of the burden upon the succeeding generation.

When the people are thoroughly convinced of the value of good roads, and that the advantages therefrom far exceeds their cost, he thinks they will not be long in instituting an improved system of building them.

He also shows where the money which the state of New York has annually expended under the old system to improve roads aggregating some $3,000,000 could be put to better advantage in building good roads under the new system, and soon give the state hundreds of miles of good solid roads, which could be traveled over at all seasons of the year, an illustration which is just as applicable to Minnesota as to New York. The movement of good roads is a popular one, and the agitation is bound to continue and will eventually result in the adoption of a system which will give the country a net-work of good solid road-beds which can be used for all sorts of traffic at all seasons of the year.