Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-08-15
Would Tx The AUTO
Supervisors, in Session at Wat
erloo, Suggest Change in Law
to Better Roads
USE MONEY ON HIGHWAYS
County Supervisors Propose to Increase
the Auto Tax From IS to s2s and Use
the Money to improve the County
Roads-sioux City Gets 1909 Con-
vention.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to rnes-Republican.
| Waterloo, Aug. 15.-The Iowa State
Association OF County OFFICERS and the
Iowa Good Roads convention will meet
/ next year at Sioux City. Aug. II, IL
and 13. No other city was seriously
| considered.
| Fridays session of county supervis-
ors was in many respects the most in
| teresting of any vet held Among the
important suggestions for changes IN
laws, was one to increase the taxation
of automobiles from S. to s25 and to
use the proceeds to improve public
| roads. Another was to empower boards
of supervisors to levy mill tax for
county roads instead Of mill as at
lpresent; another giving trustees power
to levy only 2 mills instead OF as at
present, and to empower boards to
levy a special drainage tax for the
benefit of public highways.
The last suggestion was embodied in
a resolution and presented by Henry
| Enrich of Palo Alto county. 1t pre-
cipitated spirited colloquy between
! Col. w. F.. Baker of Pottawattamie
county. and Mr.. Enrich, the former
! contending that boards had no right
under the law to pay for benefits to
township roads out of mill road
tax Several delegates participated
in the discussion. which was cut short
sby a call for the vote on the resolu-
ton. The resolution, which is directed
to the legislative committee, and
which passed without opposition, was
as follows:
wherever there is ditch tax needed
on any roads in any township in
county, the county treasurer shall GER
tfy the amount due in each township
i'm that county to the board of super
visors. who shall levy the full amount
due each year until the same is fully
paid"
Godfrey Duerst of Woodbury. county
made an impassioned plea for better
roads and for an enlargement Of the
powers of the iowa highway commits
sion, so that it may become a power
for good in directing the work of road
building. He would have the legis-
more funds, and deplored the condition
of the roads in some parts OF the state.
Iowa, with its wealth, with the edu-
cation and intelligence Of its people"
he said fought to devise ways for i'm
proving every mile Of highway To
add to the public fund for this purpose,
The would make the owners of automo-
biles pay $25 year.
Supervisors from the northwest part
OF the state were very anxious for
changes in the laws to give them re-
lief from the btlrdensc,me tax made
ne cessary by the construction OF drain
age districts. In some counties the
cost of drainage reaches $4,000, 900.
The problem of maintaining bridges
lin such counties. one speaker said, was
a serious one. A mill bridge tax in
some localities is scarcely large enough
ia meet tie expense of building neces-
sally bridges.
I. III. Taggart of Page county was
re elected secretary Of the county SUI
pervisors association, and G.. P. Wal
lser of Greene county, treasurer Pres
ident Hauke. just before adjournment
yesterday afternoon. appointed the
le gis'ative committee as follows: T..
n. Del ord, OF Des Moines, Charles
Nordherst of Clinton. and f. c.. Pow
e.s IF Johnson county
The state association of clerks Of
c-..-..> Yesterday elected officers as
follows: L. E. Corlett, of Oskaloosa,
president; G. A. Bryant, of TT. Dodge,
fir. vice president; George Phillips,
OF Ottumwa, second vice president:
r. B. Harper, OF Orlawa, third vice
president, and c. w. Hoyer. of Ida
Grove, secretary and treasurer.