The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-04-08
Questions and AnsAers.

Three. Is the best dirt road good
enough for the progressive people of
Iowa?
1t is not, for the reason that load
which one horse can haul on a macadam
road, requires five horses ON the best
road This is demonstrable truth.
Four. Was the law passed by the last
general assembly a step in the right di-
rection?
1t cartinly was, and should not be con-
demned until it has been given a fair
trial.
Five Compared with European coun-
tries, is America up to date in practi-
cally all matters pertaining to art, liter
allure, science and commerce?
She leads the world.
Six. How about good roads?
America is fully five hundred years
behind the times on this one subject
Seven. What is the chief cause of
this?
The energies, time and money of our
people have been concentrated on rail-
road building to the neglect of wagon
roads.
Eight. Of what comparative value are
wagon roads to commerce of the coun-
try.
Ninety-f five per cent of all the freight
handled by railroads and steamships
is first carted over the country road.
Nine. What tax or penalty is being
paid for bad roads?
Every time a man uses five horses to
haul load which one horse could haul
he is contributing four horses to the
bad road cause. When he takes two
days to haul what he could transport in
one day, he is contributing one day of
his time to the bad roads cause.
Ten. In the manner mentioned, how
much does the average farmer contri-
butte to the bad roads cause?
At low estimate, 500.
Eleven. Does this injure the merchant
in any way?
1t certainly costs him as much as it
does the farmer, because the farmer has
less to spend and, therefore, curtails his
purchases from the merchant.
Twelve. How much would it cost the
average farmer or merchant to pay a
sufficient tax to build permanent high
ways quite generally and to satisfac-
tory extent?
At the outside, $1,000 per annum or
more than one-tenth of what he pays for
the privilege of having bad roads.
Thirteen. Is there any actual expert
ence on which to base the foregoing
claim?
Yes. New York has been building per-
manent highways for five years on the
plan that has proven popular, and has
demonstrated the truth of each claim
made above.
Fourteen. How has New York done
this?
Through state, county and township
aid. In this way every dollars worth of
property whether owned by merchants,
corporations or farmers, is taxed as it
should be for road purposes.
Fifteen About how ought the burden
be divided?
The state should pay half of the
cost of building the permanent high
way, the county one-fourth, the town
ship Is per cent and the owners of prop
erty along the improved highway 10 per
cent.
Sixteen. Is Iowa rich enough and
ready to do this?
No state in the union is better pre-
pared to act at once along these lines.
Seventeen. How much per mile do
such permanent highways cost?
From $1,000 for good gravel roads,
to $4,000 to $4,000 per mile for macad-
am.
Eighteen What material can be used
in Iowa?
In one-half or more of our counties.
distance. In others burnt clay and
gravel can be used to advantage
Nineteen. 1t is practicable to haul
stone or other material considerable
distance by rail?
Yes. There are no better friends to
the good roads movement than the rail
road companies. They will grant every
concession possible to any state that
will work in earnest to build permanent
highways.
Twenty. Is the New York law a
popular one with the people?
Remarkably so. The state has ex-
pended about $3O,OOO,OOO to date, in the
one-half which it has to pay. Applica-
lions from countries far exceed the ap-
preparations, and arrangements are be-
ing made to largely increase them.
Twenty one. Would similar sys-
tenn in Iowa materially increase the
present tax for road purposes?
No. The main difference would be in
the proper method of applying the funds
we now have a right to collect, so that
there would be an intelligent system