Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-02-21

neeu OF GOOD roads, the serious problem
is How to get Them" We have
followed the old methods of patching
up and mending here and there
until it seems almost impossible to
conceive that there is anything better.
The non-concern Of the average busi-
ness man has prevented him from
giving active thought to the subject,
with determination to solve it.
Time and experience has demon.
strated that the present system is
wasteful and lacking in beneficial re-
suits.
The money that has been wasted OH
the common patch policy of highway
maintenance is appalling. 1t would
pay the national debt; it would pro-
vide navy that the nations of Europe
and Asia could not subdue; it would
gridiron the country from the Atlantic
to the Pacific and from Canada to the
gulf with the best of macadam high
ways. The money thus squandered in
alone would macadamize every high
way in general use in those sections.
For the past fifty years it has been the
practice every recurring spring to ''fix
tile roads, or ''work out the highway
tax" This means the throwing on
of shovel full of dirt here and there,
building an occasional water break
or 'thank-you -marm," making a
futile attempt in some cases and in
some places tosolean out the cutters,
plow furrow once in a while-any-
thing to get in the time. The first
smart summer shower undoes the half
of this clumsy patch work and the
following winter or early spring COM
pietes its destruction. The farmer
who opposes q tax for. good roads is
the only man who fights the improve
ment or his own property when it is
done at the expense OF the public.
Every dollar expended for the benefit
of the public roads is dollar expen-
ded for the improvement of the farm
in the vicinity, for good roads make
good farms. Very short-sighted then
is tile farmer or any other man who
does nOG labor for the Improvement OF
public highways. Good roads have
always been regarded as an evidence
OF high state OF civilization. and
per contra, poor roads just as strongly
demonstrate low state of civilization,
or at least deDlorable condition of
public sentiment. Goods roads, on
the other hand, make farm products
more profitable; they economize time
and force in transportation, and reduce
wear and tear ON horses, harness and
vehicles; they raise the value of farm
land and make habitation on it de-
sirable. The country is beautified and
rural mail delivery Is made possible
In short, good roads aid the county
commercially, socially and education
ally. They will make a country just
as sure as bad roads will unmake it.
In Iowa especially are the farmers
awakening to these facts. They feel
more and more the need of good roads,
but the question is, "how shall we
get them?" Legislation has responded.
A new road law has been passed, but
what does it do. 1t gives the i'm
prOvement and care of roads to the
township trustees, who appoint a
township superintendent, subject to
their orders, to oversee the work. In
consequence OF this there is exercised
upon our roads annually an amount
of ignorance that is simply appalling.
The distressing part of it is that while
we are expending annually large
amounts OF money upon our highways,
We are actually making no permanent
progress. Under this law all road
taxes are paid in cash, and the farmer
is not Forced to work on the road as
in former times. This law looked
very we'll on paper, but, when it was
put into practice, it proved a very
different matter.
All of the people do not favor
the cash tax law and their objections
have been borne out in measure by
the fact that it has net proven an
entire success, but the fault lies not
in the fact that the taxes are paid in
cash, but because the matter OF the
disbursement has not been worked out
as perfectly as it will be when we
have given all the methods fair trial.
To 90 back to the bossing or over
seeing of the road superintendent by
the trustees, believe that this is a
mistake because the trustees are not
paid q sufficient amount of money to
afford the time to study the things
necessary to know in order to success
fully direct the work. There are sixty
or them in this county. 1t would
cost too much to educate so many SO
that they could properly direct the
work of building and maintaining our
highways. Each one has different
idea as to how the work should be done
and in trying to work out the different
ideas, the superintendents often make
q failure, while if the same superin-
tendents were under the direction of
a single man, and that a practical road
builder, they would in all probability
be able to develop much better roads.
In nine cases out of ten where this
cash tax law has not been satisfactory,
the fault has been traced TO the
trustees. 1t must be clear to every
thinking citizen, that We are purely
wasting our time, squandering our
money, and wallowing in the mud,
with our teams, in the transmission
of our commerce.
The fact that you are assembled here
today to consider this question, is an
evidence that the people are becoming
aroused to the Importance of this
movement. The people are beginning
to recognize that it is great COM
mercial proposition. You come here
today for conference and to exchange
ideas as to what means should be
adopted to bring relief from. these con-
ditions. Let us not dissolve this
meeting until we have adopted some
plan, some system, some regular bust.
ness like method that will finally bring