Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-04-03
MUCH IS CLAIMED
FOR AUTO ROADS
Promoters Confident Bill Per-
hitting Them is Most lmpor-
tant Legislation
COST AND OPERATION CHEAP
Claimed to Be at Least One Third
Less Than Expense of Electric In
terurbans-No Ties, No Poles Nor
Wires and Little Gradins-senatc
Passes Anti Tipping Bill.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times
Des Moines, April 3.The bill to
allow the construction of automobile
railroads has passed both houses of
the legislature and will go in a day or
two to the governor for his signature.
The bill merely puts such railroads in
the code so that they will be on a par
with other roads and can be given
franchises and rights.
While the bill is a mild looking
measure the promoters of the auto
mobile railroad idea claim that it will
be one of the greatest benefits to the
country accruing from this seasons
legislation. In this day and age, when
everybody is asking for cheap trans
portation, the promotes of this auto
mobile railroad idea have come for
ward with the statement that they can
build a line that will do all the work of
the regular interurban, and that the
cost of construction and cost Of oper-
alton will be not more than third
that of the ordinary interurban. The
automobile is to run on a cement track
in the country, and when 1t strikes the
pavement of the city will run on the
pavement. The big truck van auto
mobiles have been made success in
the cities, and they claim it will be a
success in the country when they get
the track.
The saving in cost is that the auto
mobile railroad needs no overhead
trolly wire and poles to support the
same. There is very little, II any.
grading, and no ties are used. Compe-
tent engineers, such as Barney Marsh,
of the Marsh Bridge company, of this
city, have passed upon the cement
track idea, and claim that it will work
and be a success. Furthermore there
will be no expensive power houses and
plants to erect and install. Where the
ordinary interurban is built at a cost
of $4,000 to $4,000 a mile, they will
build for $4,000 mile. 1t is claimed
that similar lines are in operation now
in some other countries.
H. G. Cue, son of former Lieutenant
Governor Cue. of this state, is the in
ventor of the idea. He has associated
with him John Swift, a native of
Bloomfield, Iowa, and former news
paper man of Des Moines, and Ben
Fuller, an attorney of Des Moines.
Now that the bill has passed they
promise to put the idea into practical
operations in number of different
localities in the state, to prove its
success and will complete some lines
this year. They claim for the idea that
line can be completed quicker and
at less cost and being so easy to put
in operation there will be no reason
why every little town in the state
should not be connected with the farm
ing community surrounding by means
of an interurban.
The senate late Tuesday passed the
house anti-tipping bill, which is adj
vertised as having special reference
to architects who are said to be much
given to receiving favors from con-
tractors and furnishers. But it is
pointed out the bill will have a far
reaching effect on all forms of gratui-
ties and extras and petty graft, and
certainly it forms the opening wedge
for future legislation that will put the
tip-taker and the tip-giver in the same
category as the bribers.
Al important bill has just been
passed relating to commitments to
the inebriate hospital, so that suffi-