Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-31
ASKREWR|T|NG
Of ROAD LAWS
AND STATE AID
coop ROADS CONVENTION At
DIES MONIES AFTER ENTHUSlAS-
TIC SESSION PASSES RESOLU-
TloNs; GOOD TALKS HEARD.

Des Moines, Dec. 29.-Good road
boosters yesterday officially adopted
q policy which they hope will result
In the systematic betterment of Iowa
roads.
State aid, revision of present laws,
naturalization Of authority in trained
engineers and compulsory dragging
were strongly advocated In the plat
form framed at the conference held in
the Y. M. c. A. auditorium. The vote
on the resolutions took place at the
| afternoon session. The resolutions:
| That in the interest Of simplicity We
| favor a rewriting Of the road laws OF
the state into a single act.
That we favor the compulsory drag
ging Of earth roads and the creation
Of a non-divertible drag fund.
That we favor simple system Of
road management under a centralized
authority which shall work through
skilled and competent appointed Of
| f1cers.
That we favor some form of state
aid to encourage good road building.
That it is the sense Of this confer
ence that an increased per cent Of our
road funds be entrusted to the man.
agement of the board Of supervisors.
The afternoon session was largely
devoted to five minute speeches by
members of the conference on various
phases Of road improvement and con-
structive road legislation brought forth
in the morning program.
Gov. B. F. Carroll was called up by
Senator Lafayette Young, who pre-
sided, for five minute talk He de-
fined the gathering As that of "a sen.
sible body Of men, gathered here to
reason" He complimented them on
the fact that they were not quarrel
ing" and he expressed his belief that
the harmonious work of the conference
would have a marked effect on the up
building of Iowa's roads.
In part Governor Carroll said: II am
indeed glad to see the awakening of
interest among our people in the neces-
sity for good roads. / have seen much |
of Iowa recently and for the last five !
years I have never been able to dis
cover the enthusiasm for good roads
which has existed during the past
twelve months.
There is no doubt that the trustee
system Is very defective. Many are
Indifferent and many are incompetent.
am not going to recommend to the
legislature that they abolish the trus-
;ees, however. But something must be
lone to supplement the supervisors and
he trustees Call it theoretical if you
please, but there must be some one to
determine specifications and so on for ]
and other steps in scientific
Dad building. And we want to get you
men to work along these lines. The RI
ra1ry between the Blue Grass road and
he River-to-River road and the Hawk
,ye road is a good thing. That shows
hat the state from border to border Is
Interested in good roads. And that IN
urn means better homes, better social
conditions In the rural communities.
Finally it will stop the loss of popula-
ion"
Joe Long of Osceola told briefly of
he Blue Grass road which will extend
rom Council Bluffs to FIT. Madison. He
stated that one town was raising a
und of $4,000 to cut down hill in Ii
rider that it might be placed on the
quite of the across the state railway.
Other speakers placed emphasis upon
creased land values, upon the neces-
'ity for building permanent roads.
lpon the importance of correct drain !
lge, and upon the need> for using
standard height wagons on Iowa roads,
I'VE can spread good roads enthus-
owa," said President Young in closing
he afternoon session. THE dirt road !,
$ the first aid to the wounded. Dirt is,
after all. the foundation for every
'oad that you have.
Figures show that there are prob
ably 100000 miles of road and that Of
his only 175,000 is anything but dirt. !,
You hear always talk of this kind and
,ther kind of road but usually in other
states 1t has been mostly talk"
That only fourteen graduates Of the
of Iowa engineering college
we're engaged in state improvement
work was the statement made by Prof
". G. Raymond Of Iowa City in his
PAPER on Road Maintenance" He
aid that the state OF Iowa spends $780,
100 each year for the engineering
Ichools at Ames and Iowa City. Hei,,
stated emphatically that his talk was
lot for the engineer but for the state
# Iowa. He supported this statement ;
" telling the conference that he had
more demands from outside the state
or his graduates than he could fill. He
oughly outlined a state board of pub
ic works system in closing, emphasiz- !,
ng the need for employing men from
his state to build up the roads. r.
Supervisor ]. C. Manley Of Grinnell
nd B. Stanton then briefly told of the
miles Of road constructed
n the Poweshiek county. According 10
he statement Of Mt. Stanton values OF !,
and adjacent to the improved road
ave risen $40 an acre.
M. 0. Eldridge, the government ex-
,ert, advocated the use of convict ,
abor on the roads instead Of in the
Of products which were
laced on the market to rival the {
york of free skilled labor.
The conferences Legislative commit
ee will report the recommendations TO =
he thirty fourth general assembly.
THIRTEEN DIE IN EXPLOSION. T
accident to Boiler In Massachesusette ,
Ials.k r