The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-12-18
A ROAD PROPOSITION.


Crawford is not behind other coun-
ties in western Iowa in this regard,
but all of western Iowa is losing
money each year because OF its poor
transportation facilities. We do
not intend, as so many have done,
to denounce the district road super
visor. We believe he does the best
possible with the material at hand,
but this system of patching and
blowing cannot go on forever. 1t
is usually loss Of time and money;
each spring demands that the
same repairs be made over again,
and each fall finds the roads in the
same condition that they were in
before. The state has provided
that one mill levy shall be made
to be expended by the board of SUI
pervisors for the purpose of build
ing permanentroadways. Inorder
to free themselves of the charge of
favoritism, the board ofsupervisors
of this county has done just what
other boards have done and has
practically annulled the law by di-
viding this money among the var
ious townships with the result that
no permanent and effective work is
done in any place. We hope that
the new board of supervisors about
to be seated will look upon this
matter in different light, and will
see to it that commencement is
made on series of turn pixies
which will be lasting monument
to their wisdom, and a tremendous
addition to the wealth and pros
perity of the county. For our
part we care not where they begin;
I Just SO systematic work is begun
and we can feel assured that some
time it will be our turn. Let them
begin by building permanent gravel
lroadways out of Manila, or Char
ter Oak, or Vail, or any other
town in the county, and we will be
satisfied, providing that we. know
! that in the near future Denison
will have its turn. Better still, the
board might make proposition to
the various towns in the county,
that they may build permanent
roadways not to exceed a certain
mileage, and that the amount ex-
| pended will be repaid out of this
one mill tax, without interest, as
speedily as possible. This would
give each town an opportunity to
go to work at once. The board
should specify of what these roads
should be built, and how, should
limit the amount of mileage, and
set the price which the county will
pay for the work. The towns
could then proceed by a popular
subscription to build these road
ways according to the specifications
laid down by the supervisors, and
the people would have the assur-
ance that they would lose but the
interest on their money while they
would gain vastly in trade facilities.
This plan would free the board
from any charge of favoritism, and
would place the responsibility upon
each locality to provide itself with
permanent roadways. If the bust
ness men of community were not
sufficiently enterprising to build
these roads, it would be their fault
and not the fault of the board.
Every town would have equal op-
portunity to do much or little as it
desired, although a maximum limit
should be placed SO that wealthy
town should not monopolize the
entire tax. If some such system
we're adopted it would not be many
years before Crawford would have
1.-THE best roads of any county in the
Estate. The different towns would
vie with each other in building
these roads and in building them
well. They would be built along
the lines of the greatest traffic and
consequently where they would
benefit the greatest number of our
| farmers. The REVIEW advocated
the erection of a new court house;
lit believes now. as it did before
1.-THE election, that Crawford county
should take better care af its rec
ords, and should have enough
pride to provide decent place for
its seat Of justice. But we must
say, that save for the constant