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

is one in the Importance of which the
public is awak enif,g, and one which
was generally discussed by the State
Association of Supervisors in theirI
convention I'm this city. One of the pa
pers on this subject was presented byl
Mr.. j. NJ. Matthews, of Pottawattanie8l
county, On Wednesday afternoon, and
lis here presented:
What may appear in this paper relat-
ling to good and bad roads should be
considered az applying to that portion
of Iowa from which my fellow members
of the board and i come. In one of tn e
lcounties of western Iowa is field enough
| for consideration of the subject-the
lconditions as they exist and of how to
remedy the defects and to improve those
conditions. The ratio of good roads to
| bad ones has decreased during the past
Thirty years Not that some roads have
mot been greatly improved, but from the
lfact that, at one time, routes of travel
were not along lines of land sub-diivs-
lions. but in courses best suited to the
purpose The individual who purcha sed
land across which was an established
highway had but to petition for its
change and his wish was INDUCED and
at the expense OF the public. This work,
whether good or bad, still onward goes.
The interests of the general public are
Il not always considered in the establish
ling of highways and. while every land
snwner legally and rightfully Isl entitled
to means of ingress and egress to and
from his place of living, often the best
| is not exercised.
We speak with pride of county we'll
supplied with roads, and are justly
proud of a few roads which are much
better than all the others A strong eff
fort is making to increase the number;
of good ones and to keep Ia repair those
ALREADY made good. AS We see the good
work progress and think only of what
is in sig hit we are encouraged, but come
! to view the whole system of roads in the
Icounty. take note of the expenditure for
1.-THE year just passed, and observe that.
while some fairly good roads have been
made better, the great majority of bad
roads have been made worse, we sor-
rowfully eNclaim. is there hope? For
instance. just as the last autumn Was
merging into winter, in company with
another member of our board saw a
FARMER who had been permitted by the
/ road supervisor to delay his road work
until he got ready to do it, pillow up a
8half mile OF timber road which was and
would have remained. in better condi-'
jtion ned 1t never been worked. There
4 MAS no governing power at hand The
90 vegeign citizen simply chose a spot
1 near home, where he could employ man
iand team t,o his own best! advantage.
Many of those present al this session
4 have attended former meetings of this
association ard other gatherings where
1.-The road subject has been discussed
There have been no dsnialstof the asser-
,tion that there is no good sytennS of road
working and that the law governing the
working of roads and the manner OF
Expenditure Of funds derived for the
purpose is sadly defective. In those
discussions the township authorities
have not, alone, been condemned in the
lcriticism, but bnardsof supervisors have
recelved a share of the condemnation
/ There is a lack of legal system in the
lstate which should extend to all the
workers of roads and which should pro-
/ vide a unit Of authority, which unit, |
contend, should comprise in it's juris-
diction no smaller territory than a
county. Let every citizen be subject to
the same throne Of n,,yf.,. and -, ,,i,,
10 know tha. his,
HE xnen,.d ~ the bas,t -
sI,ha n,,h,;c IL b,na., I, M,
cor,l.n,a VIII ! n,,;s,r,,,
out his, eo,,rtl. : -. :
i ca hacl, "a ,ba ,ext--n, ao,,,t, {,
Ica,,ntv AZ dir, gooa ,,i,.t ~. ~,
reads ,b,v ,,,,s,t no liz. IA, a.,
~ ,haor;1. ,,,s,, J,
anticnation ~ ba,ta,.
If dir, s,.b
~. graded
s,.ib,s. - 4; ,yca hi. ,,,,,a =.
81 4,
~
tif co-exfens,e viii, .
nronrl, !,
"a !,
resl,lts hv q, lea Il
,ax-naver s,tadJ,, ,,a,,ia ~. sa,,Io,..
some returns from bis, i,,,....,t,,,x.,,,
When the majority az fa,n,x.,.s, ,,,,e
lines, men witness . resor,,, 4,
/ ton and use of such n,ethods, Nc III,
RECOMMEND themselves ~ tha,,.s psaa
sense and Judgment. there viii H.. ',.,,-
! dered by them such earnest and lihar,l
support as that systems stea5,i,v and
rapidly will improve.
We need better laws. but can ma, Oh
i tain the hest laws until s,,ch tj.,a az,
the grand common people have he.
come ro,,yipcad ,,,.,. x,,.l