Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-03-12
ALL KINDS Of ROADS
A T..R. Solicitor Tells OF Some
OF the Iowa Roads He
Finds.
Roads Are Good Even in the
Spring When Properly
Worked.
WORKING Out the Tax and Hun.
dred Bosses Proves a
Failure.

Newburg. March 12.-When the
spring thaw comes the good roads dis
cussion is set In motion by the bad
roads of the season. The writer meets
many kinds of roads, as we'll as many
kinds of farmers, in his travels, and
finds them about as widely different in
character as are the farmers them
selves. And what is more to the point
the roads acquire their character from
the farmers who work them. In a drive
from Marshalltown to GrinneH last
week | encountered all kinds of roads.
For mile or two, where careful grad
ing had been done last fall, the roads
would be good, then travel would be-
come almost impossible by a strip OF
road where one farmer had worked out
his road tax by blowing up several
burrows of sod alongside of the roadbed
and the next farmer had put in his time
somewhere else.
1t is the common custom in the coun-
ties where I have driven to have road
supervisors for each school district.
Thus 100 or more men in county draw
81 per day for bossing a job which, as
fl rule, they know nothing about, and
lSunder the law the farmers work out
Ihree-fifths Of their road tax, usually
when the roads least need attention,
and pay two-1ifths in cash. Even I'M
der this arrangement from $4,000 to
$4,000 in cash is raised for road work.
which ought to result in better roads
than most counties have. Few districts
own a road grader and few even use
one. 1t is a common practice to move
dirt from the side of road to the CEN
ter and leave the smoothing process to
the wear of travel over the road.
NV observation has been that the
roads in most cases are twice as wide
as they need be. Wide strips Of unused
land lie along either side of the right
of way as breeding grounds for all the
noxious weeds that conspire to lnJure
an honest mans crops. In building
railroad a bridge is made the same
width as the road. A country roadbed
for the same reason need be no wider
than it's bridges, which allow teams to
pass easily, and the right Of way need
he but little wider.
In talking with the farmers find
that as a rule they prefer to work out
a portion of their road tax, but all adj
nit that better roads would result If
the tax was paid in money and the
cfay,, "
found districts where this plan has been
adopted and the work done on contract
with the result that miles upon miles
of roads once fairly impossible are now
in good condition.
Up in Hardin county they have good
roads. Much of Hardin county land is
underlaid with gravel and the farmers
have hauled it onto their roads. Nearly
every foot of road in Hardin county
shows careful working. The gravel
roads out of Iowa Falls and Eldora es-
pecially are the best have ever driven
over. The farmers up there take pride
In their roads as we'll as their farms.
The rural mail carrier Is becoming a
factor in the road discussion. Uncle
Sam makes the good road his only de-
mand in return for rural free delivery.
and all the rural carrier has to do is to
kick and the whole neighborhood will
turn out onto the road work. All winter
long I have encountered farmers show
cling snow to keep their roads open for
the mail man." and many of them will
receive notices to Improve bad stretch
es of road that are particularly difficult
to travel during the spring. The state
association of rural carriers has taken
up the matter of good roads and has
suggested that all road taxes be paid In
money that the ONCE of road supervis-
or be abolished and the work be placed
In the charge of the county supervis
ors, and that the poll tax be abolished.
They have seen the same needs that
have come under my observation, that
is, the need of some system to our road
work whereby experienced road men
will do the work and will do 1t when
the work is needed. Iowa already has
good roads in spots and can have all
over. GEORGE F. THAYER.