Good Roads and the Elwell Law 



By Senator James T. Elwell of Minneapolis 



THE Elwell Road Law was enacted for the purpose of 

 building leading roads throughout the State of Minne- 

 sota, and to do it in a large and comprehensive manner, 

 so as to connect city with city, and village with village, and 

 to give to the citizens of each county easy access to their 

 market towns. 



The general plan embodies the idea of getting into one 

 lump sum for each county of the state, enough money at 

 one time to build the main arteries of travel for each county. 



By its provisions any county in the state may build $200,000 

 worth of good, permanent road which will not only aid the 

 farmers of such county in getting to their market town, but 

 will also be an example to them of the kind and character of 

 road which can and should be built to connect with these 

 main arteries. 



General Provisions Are Simple. 



The general provisions of the bill are simple, although the 

 machinery is quite lengthy and explicit, as that feature of 

 the bill is provided for by adopting the main features of Chap- 

 ter 230 of the 1905 Ditch Law. Under the proviisons of the 

 Elwell law, the state pays one-half the cost of the road, the 

 county one-quarter, and the benefited property the other quar- 

 ter, each having ten years in which to make their respective 

 payments. The county is made the financial agent and it 

 issues the bonds or certificates of indebtedness of the county 

 payable in from one to ten years for the entire cost of any 

 and all roads to be built within the county limits, thus pro- 

 viding for the payment of any and all roads to be built under 

 this law. 



Each road or system of roads to be built will have the ad- 

 vantage of having the cash on hand to pay for the improve- 

 ments as they are made. 



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