Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-02-26
SHALL cREsco PAVE?
Objections Are Made---A
Letter from independence.

On next Monday evening the council
men will act on the propositions of
paving and curbing Elm street and one
block east and west from Elm street
on Railroad and Park streets.
AS was expected, some opposition
has developed among the property
owners on Elm street. The first cost
of paving is admittedly somewhat ex-
pensive, and it is natural that some
should seek excuses for avoiding the
cost to them.
The council expected opposition.
There has been opposition to our water
works system, opposition to granting
franchises for telephones and electric
lighting, objections to building our new
school houses and to our sewerage
system; and all, save the telephone
franchise, opposed because of its cost.
But has not the wisdom of those who
favored these improvements been en-
dorsed by the results in every instance.
AS we understand the matter, the
objectors do not claim that paving is
not needed or desirable, but wish it
postponed, or make the claim that the
whole city should bear the expense of
paving.
Those who belong to the first class
say, "wait till the Dan Patch air line
reaches Cresco and make it stand it's
share of the expense" The PLAIN
DEALER earnestly wishes for the build
ing of the electric road, and believes
that within the course of few years
Cresco will have the Dan Patch or some
other electric road, but it also believes
that at its present rate of progress-3O
miles of grade in two years-that Cres-
co can not afford to delay paving until
the Dan Patch reaches the city.
Those who say that the city should
pay all the cost are simply asking for
a continuation of the plan that has
been followed for all the years of the
incorporation of Cresco- taxing the
city for the improvement of the busi-
ness streets. With the exception of
some very good road work and tiling
during the past few years on some of
the quick sand streets of the town, but
little work has been done on the streets
in the residence district, while some
years nearly every dollar of road tax
and large slice of general fund has
been spent on the business streets.
1t is true that paving is consider
able expense but it is practically a
permanent improvement and enhances
to the extent of its cost the property
contiguous, and with it's cost extended,
if desired, over period of seven years
gives the property owners benefits
worth far more yearly than the cost of
paving as it falls due.
Opposition to paving is always found,
but it is never introduced in city
without being rapidly extended De-
corah property owners bitterly resisted
in the courts payment for the first
paving in their city. The next year,
property owners on other streets asked
for paving. At Austin, injunction pro-
ceedipgs We're resorted to, now their
paved streets are the pride and boast
of the city.
Paving will give an air of prosperity
and enterprise to Cresco that will be
worth much to the city, and will be
an improvement the economy of which
will be seen in future years. Moreover,
the money put out in this improvement
is principally used to pay for labor,
sand, crushed rock, etc., and will be a
stimulant to Cresco business and an aid
to its laboring men.