Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-02-09
t LOOKER.ON IN IOWA ]
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

+ LOOhEh'ON in AVWA
chaplin, Feb 9.-This township, Ross,
Of Franklin county, seems to have n
model plan for using rural taxes. For
the past four years the Supervisors
have contracted with Mr.. John II. Lea
witt, OF this place, for his services as
road superintendent from April to
November /, each year, at IA per day
for self and team and he makes the
roads every day He is authorized to
hire men and teams when needed, and
they get cash for their work. He coll
lects the poll tax He had tifty-two
miles Of roads to keep In order ana
uses both the King road drag and the
regulation road scraper. But here is
the point to bring out. He works the
roads every day. In the spring, before
all of the frost is out of the ground
the King road drag is level.ng off the
soft dirt He keeps the big road grader
going all summer, and rounds up the
center so that the water runs off Be
tween here and Sheffield the automo-
biles make the fastest time of any
where around here. Again, be does Gull
vert and bridge work. IL bridge gets
out OF order the county supervisors
hire him to fix 1t. He charges up to the
county his time and expense for mate
rails used, and this money from the
county comes back to Ross township.
To state 1t in a few words, this town
ship has one-m man power to take care
of the roads, and so satisfactory are
Mr.. Leavitts methods, work and re-
suits that other townships have fire.
quently tried to hire him away from
Ross township. Has now an offer from
another township, but lives here. so
will probably serve the people here an
other year. Perhaps at Anes college
they have a class of road makers, and
turn out professionals that any town
ship can hire. Ii not, why not edu-
cate a lot of young men as road SUI
perintendents and put a price on such
work that will induce young men to
take it up as a profession? ON the
roads of Iowa, the state over, there Is
plenty for them to do
A short time ago u farmer living
in Story county brought to the college
at Ames a bunch of weeds. among
them the Russian thistle and asked
whether he was correct In determining
that it belonged to the Russian thistle
species. and what he could do to pre-
vent the spread of this weed from the
neighboring farms and railroad.
He said that he had notified the
proper officials and they seemed to
think that nothing could be done. AS
a matter OF fact the town official was
derelict in his duty. Section 1868 Of
the supplement to the code for 1902
reads as follows:
NO owner or occupant of any land or
lots, or corporation or association of
persons, wning. or occupying or con-
trolling land as the right of way, de-
pot grounds or other purposes, or pub
lie officer in charge of any street or
road, shall allow to grow to maturity
thereon the Russian thistle or salt
wort (Salsola kali. variety tragus) 1t
shall be the duty of every person or
corporation so owning, occupying or
controlling lands, lots or other real
property. or any road supervisor or
other public officer having charge of
any street or road, to cut, burn or
otherwise entirely destroy such thistle
growing on said premises, right of way,
road, or street, before the same shall
bloom or come to maturity; and any
person. corporation or public officer
neglecting to destroy all such thistles
as aforesaid, after receiving notice in
writing of their presence, shall be
deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and
be punished accordingly. 1t shall be
the duty of any person knowing of the
presence of Russian thistles upon any
premises, lands, lots, street, roads or
elsewhere, at any time after the first
day of July, to give notice Immediately
to any member of the board of trustees
Of the township in which thistles are
growing; or, within city or town,
then to give notice to the mayor, re-
corder, Of clerk thereof; who shall inn
mediately give notice in writing to
the owner, occupant or person or cor
poration in possession or control there
of; and If not destroyed by such owner
or occupant or person in possession in
proper time to prevent maturity cause
their total destruction. the costs there
of, together with the cost. of serving
notice, to be paid out Of the county
fund upon the certificate of the town.
ship trustees or the council, as the case
may be, to the board of supervisors;
which board shall cause the sum to
be paid to be levied as a special tax