Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-01-24

! Mr.. Chris Mathes, OF Des Moines
county, was one Of those who took
prominent part In the, good roads dis
cussion before the Iowa supervisors
convention on Wednesday. He pre-.
scented a lengthy paper on the subject,
| in part as follows;
Gentlemen of the Conventions: As
said in the beginning, it is the greatness,
the vastness and the enormous expense
Eof the problem that have been, and are
Eow, retarding the actual progress
toward solution. To CONVERT the bad
roads Of this country into good ones is
1 greater task by far, and one of greater
Js.gnificance, one more certain of quick
and beneficial returns than the buildinglI
] Ct the middle American ship canal. inn
lIortant and promising as that doubtless
lis. And the century has has just dawned
4 upon us has no greater work in store
4 for this nation. For all this not a word
sof sustaining argument is needed. The
! Question is no longer, shall we improved
4 Ctr roadso But how shall we proceed
4 To improve our roads. do not refer to
/ the practical building; that is aues-
! ton for the experts and one of locality.
I A road III Maine and Vermont, where
brock is abundant, will naturally be of
different construction than one in Iowa,
i where the only abundant material Is
4 mud. The question is, what laws 10 en-
Il act TO enable the people TO first. build
Egooa roads. and second to keep Them in
permanently good condition. SO that the
slledney of the taxpayers will be wisely
4 .expended from the time of the first out
alslay. How easily the latter is accom-
si:flished is to be CLEANED from the last re-
sllort of the secretary Of the Pennsylva-
4 MIA state department Of agriculture,
who records the doleful fact that to
4 maintain 100000 miles of good roads In.
that state more than four millions of
1 dollars are expended annually. or. at
a the rate of $40 a mile. and that. never
4 theless. the roads at the years end are
{. no better than al the beginning. And
;. this in a state where the best material
I, for permanent roads may be dug from
every hillside. What bette. proof that
1.-THE taxpayers money is wasted, that the
laws for maintaining the established
lroads in prime condition are made
ouate, or If efficient, not eXaetad?
We needlesislation for the building Of
good roads, but laws must be so framed
az 10 cover their future maintenance.
ms, ,,s s sirssss l..eisl,,tive sess,f,.s the
ssnl,i..ot ,s i n nv. a,,;n;,nss rh..
enema .Y,,,s,int :
"a exna,fs Main in n,..,..t ,,,aI rsaf,- b,,iifl
IN, ana in ti,,ance n, caref,,I,v st,.,lv
~. Sumter . nd e,,,r,it Mans IA,
,sigtha u.o,,l ba,si,,ee Il, ,,,j,,d tic nsrr,s
~, IL ), :, ,,.e,,lsl NC
n lsa,,int, ans q, consider. hayv the
,-ci>.zd and 1,oxy nm
IA, and s,,,i,,.,,,,.e i,
4 4, IA ax,,,s,,,,.sd ,rheya sbo,,lf, 10 tl,a
ro,,,,d ,,r;,,ci,l. az state aid. there
sI.s,,o,,,a ,Isa bg s+.ts raad s,,ne,.;,,tansl.
l.nt a.. hoars, 81 e,,narvisars ,,nde,
: vhose ,,ireetion inc county boards wo,,le
work Trnfssr.s ,.fticiant general s,,ps,,-i 9.
: Iicn. s.renrfhenea hy the authority q
law. our roads. even Under existifl.
~ financial and other conditions Wo,Il,
IS si,ow. a marked IMPROVEMENT within /,
war. While If the state should dupli
' cate every dollar now raised by faxatior
farshighways. and permit the money ID
IL xfsandel5 in thes same la phaz I'd Way
very little benefi. would result.
y we should in iowa have a Law some
9 what similar IA the one passed py the
$ sleg4sslature OF MN Jersey. which Aelii
k into effect in iSs3 This perna1ellfs rs,;a {
I law authorized the STATE % aid IA tbs
/, Luiiding OF limited mileage III roads