The Oskaloosa herald., 1903-12-17
GOOD ROADS FORlOWA
Something Likely to be Done by
Coming Legislature.

Register and Leader: The Register
and Leader has been rather slow
about endorsing good roads move
ment in Iowa at this time. But the
legislature is soon to meet, the ques-
ton of road making is bound to come
up, and it is worth while to ask seri-
ously why Iowa should not initiate
the example of the eastern states?
Every eastern state is now engaged
in expending from $4,000 tol$6,000 a
mile on permanent roads, and is build
ing hundreds and in many instances
thousands of miles. New York is ex-
pending one million dollars during
the present year, while Pennsylvania
has voted six and one-half millions to
be expended in six years. Why should
either New York or Pennsylvania
need or have better roads than Iowa?
Their land is not worth as much as
Iowa land, therefore they can not at
ford good country roads any better
than we can. They do not have the
produce to haul to market, therefore
they do not need good roads as badly
as we do. Why are they realizing on
the future to make their man trav-
eled highways permanent?
When Iowa land was selling in op-
en- market for SIS to SIS an acre, dirt
roads patched UP from year to year
were in keeping. But are the roads
of Iowa or any roads that any dirt
road land is going to give us in keep
| ing with land that sells at from $50
to 800 an acre? Has the time not
come to realize that We are an old
| and rich state, able to do right what
ever needs doing, and that the day of
makeshifts ought to be past, IL it is
| not? The dirt road of Iowa is not in
keeping with the land values or the
wealth of Iowa, and it is never going
| to be, but no road law will come to
stay, but the law that looks to a sys-
tenn of the best roads in the United
States.
It is a question of policy with every
man whether to go in debt for COM
| Portable home and pay for 1t while
| he enjoys it, or whether he shall con-
tinue 10 live in cramped quarters un-
ii he has saved the money to build a
good home, which is generally after
| he has grown too old to derive any
benefit from T.. II is a question of
0Clicv w'th communities whether to
0aal!2e upCn the future and secure
the advantages for themselves which
| their posterity may rightly hope for,
or whether to skimp through life, on
the theory that some day their de-
| scendants may be rich enough to pay
cash for Improvements, that no COM
munity ever pays cash for. Suppos-
| ing every township in Iowa were
bonded for 100000 for good roads to
he paid in fifty years at low rate or
interest. The men who are living to-
day would derive the benefits of an
| Investment that their children would
/ gladly take off their hands, and the
( cost would be distributed over peri
| cd of time that would enable every
beneficiary of the improvement to
bear his part of the burden, and be-
ing so distributed would be light on
| all.
| The Register and Leader Is not ad-
vocating the bonding of every town
ship in Iowa for 100000 or for any
other sum. But it believes that the
township that will today raise that
amount on long time bonus and put
it into permanent roads, if by so do
ing it can connect itself with mar
kets, will in ten years be the richest
township in it's county, its lands alone
selling for more than enough above
the average price, to meet the cost Of
the improvement, to say nothing OF
the conveniences and eujoyments of
life realized by its residents.
Iowa can afford to think seriously
of meeting the good roads problem in
big way. 1t is no experiment, for
other states are doing it.