Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-07-27
Highway Commission Reports.

port OF the Iowa state highway com,
mission, just appearing in public form,
shows that taxes were levied for col
lection in 1904 in Iowa for road pur-
poses in these sums: County road tax,
| $547, 309; township road tax, $2,2S3,-
129; $1,62S,72O; total, s4,459,15S
Since then the levy has been in
creased
The commission has compiled CEN
sus returns of one township only in
each county, showing the enormous
use of the roads of Iowa. The figures
covering the entire state are now be-
Ing made by the commission. The
following is a summary of the totals
and averages for the single townships
In each county:
Average
Acres reported ............... 20,438
Full loads hauled weigh, lbs... 10000
Distance to market, miles. $3.50. AT
Ton mile hauling. 22,J65
Time per round trip, hours. $685.. 50
Times required per arce hrs. . 1901
Miles of light travel......... 1929
| The commission recommends that
laws be enacted in Iowa providing for.
a larger unit of administration and
skilled superintendent in rotd max
Ing, the county remaining the unit
| Of administration of road funds. 1t
recommends the following:
State supervision of the highways
In a general way, particularly along
the line of Investigations for new
methods of construction and other
i fof fvpnr1 re 1nS Nv
and township road officers should also
be required to furnish reports Of the
work being done and expenditures of
funds to the state commission on
blanks furnished by them These re-
/ ports should then be compiled and
4 published annually for the whole
state.
"a county engineer should have the
immediate superintendent Of the
work done by the county and general
supervision OF the township work.
Preparation Of road material BY
convicts.
"In company with T. E. Hauke, a
Clinton county supervisor. member
of the commission drove over mum.
Der of miles of macadam road which
i is being built in that county out Of
the county road fund and the mulcl
4 tax. These roads are being built at
a reasonable price and the county has
made considerable progress in the
construction of earth, gravel and
stone roads, as is shown in the accom-
panying report. The work is done
under the direction OF the county
surveyor, Mr.. Hart, who is really en-
Il crfy, ~, txr oxS
is all let by contract and in busi-
ness like manner. The specifications
and contract and report are inclosed
with this report to show the admins
tration Of road funds that could be
obtained by developing the office Of
county surveyor into that Of county
engineer"
Child Labor Law Affects Mines.
The new child labor law, It has
Just been discovered, has a bearing
ON Iowa mines which calls for the at
/ tention of tho state mine inspector
and will probably result in tho release
of several hundred boys In the state
under the age OF 18 years who are
now working under ground. It was
4 not intended at the time to exclude
these boys from mines, but through
manipulation the result was unexpect-
edly attained. In the original bill Of
| fered by the labor organizations Of
the state it provided children under
16 years Of age should not be engaged
In stone Quarries. On the floor In the
house Representative Bealer Of Linn
county, who is engaged in stone quar-
Try business, opposed the measure but
1t was passed,
/ Then there was a lively skirmish la
the senate whore the committee re-
ported substitute measure leaving
put stone quarries entirely. The ses-
sion was nearing an end. The labor
interests were instrumental in get
ting conference of the senate and
house committees, Their sub-eommit.
tee reported a bill which did not refer
to stone quarries, but prohibited the
employment Of children under 10
years Of age In places where danger.
4 Dus explosives are used. This was
designed to effect the large quarries.
Now 1t Is readily seen that this will
cover mines where the coal 10 blasted
with dynamite.
AntI-C Corporation Party Launched.
4 To fight the present and future
inscription Of the municipal govern
ment by the public service corpora
tons, there will be organized in Des
Moines before the coming election q
citizens organization, to be known as
"non-political party" Plans are al
ready under way. Both republicans
and democrats are interested in the
movement The Civil League, an or
| ganization that has been active and
i influential In city politics In pes
Moines for nearly two years, being
4 particularly at the front in It's fair
and unsparing criticism Of candidates
in the recent election, will encourage
the organization. The directors Of
the Civic League are giving the mat
ter consideration.
Customs Receipts Grow.
While not all Of the imported goods
brought into Des Moines are cleared
through the Dies Moines port Of entry,
the records Of Col. Geo. L. Godfrey,
4 United States surveyor Of customs,
show that every month from $4,000
to $4,000 and $4,000 worth Of goods
are entered and passed through the
Des Moines Office. During the pre-
4 sent year the month of January
showed the largest receipts, when
$12,85.76 worth Of goods were entered,
4 nm which 5000 IA duty was Maid Ra.