Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-02-11
Local Comment

If township trustees would observe
the provisions of the present road law
there would have been no occasion for
Fridays propaganda as to dragging
and yet every mile of road in every
township in this county would be
dragged after every storm. The law
now reads: Not less than 40 per cent
of the road tax collected under the
road levy made by the township trus-
tees, on land abutting the road or adj
jacent thereto. shall be worked on said
road if needed on the same and the
township trustees shall have all the
routes. in their townships dragged at
such time as in their judgment is most
ber eficial.' A trustee. of course. can
evade a statute as discretionary as
this if he so desires, but the clear in
tent of the statute is that the roads
shall be dragged. The trustee from
Jackson township in Hardin county
who has dragged sixty miles of road
there for five years at an average cost
of IS per mile per annUm has shown the
way and there is not township IN
Marshall county that could not do the
same thing on 80 per cent OF its pres
ent road fund. whereas the law pro-
vides that not less than 40 per cent
shall be used. In Iowa township last
year they dragged thirty-sixe miles for
$50 and got most of it out of poll taxes
which touched their road fund for not
to exceed Is per cent We have the
funds and the law and all we need is
trustees who will see that the work is
done. When farmers learn that the
cost Of this dragging comes back to
them as a drawback or rebate from
their taxes road dragging will be pop
ular.
There is absolutely nothing to the
problem except a demand for ordinary
common sense and a determination to
stick to the job Ransom had all his
trouble in the first year. Some farm
ers thought that 1t would cost 30 much
to drag all the roads that he would
bankrupt the road fund and they
threatened to enjoin him but he stuck
to it and before the end of the first
year he had them all converted. And
again 1t was so difficult to get farmers
to take the contract for dragging at
so cents per mile that he was COM
PEELED to give some fellows stations
seven miles long during the first year
but now he has no trouble at all in di-
viding sixty miles Of road into two
mile stations for thirty farmers to
work and Everybody is willing. 1t is
common for farmers to call Mr.. Ran
som by phone now before going to
town after rain and inquire whether
he wants them to drag In the forenoon
or in the afternoon and they are per-
fectly willing to arrange their own at
fairs to suit the road boss. Nobody
drags until the boss gives the order
then al. drag for one hour and sixty
miles Of road are smooth again. 1t is
so simple and so cheap that town
ship trustee who can not get on to the
system has no one but himself to
blame.
It should be of interest to the mer-
chants OF Marshalltown and farmers OF
the vicinity now that we9 are TO have
creamery in operation by March 1
to know that State Center's creamery
paid out $4,000 in cream checks last
year That is equal to the pay roll OF
factory employing 100 men and
everybody agrees that commercial
club which could land such factory
would be doing something. Even the
Clemens creamery paid out $4,000 ana
that Is about the size OF the payroll OF
an institution like the Marshall Oil
Company, which we thing is one Of the
best things We have in town.
Van Law has sprung good scheme
in the legislature this week TO pay from
the state funds to county fairs state
aid of half the amount paid in prem1-
ums This in effect is state premi-
um for county fair exhibits and is
practicable and sane method of encour-
aging agricultural development. The
money comes from state funds but the
state funds come from county taxes, so
unless people in some county are too
unprogressive to have a county falr
they are practically paying their own
way, and even IN counties which have
no fair the citizens are generally pat
rons and beneficiaries OF successful
fair in the central town of an adjoining
county.
| With the spring primary only four
weeks distant 1t Is not strange that
rumors are afioat as to what the saloons
are xiong to do No definite informa-
! Ito. is q. hand but 1t Is not difficult to
reason what they are likely to DO.
| Their right to do business in this city
expires July unless new petition OF
consent is obtained II such a petition
could have been obtained from the vot-
ers registered at the last election, It
follows obviously that the attempt
would have been made ere this. Con-
versely It follows that since said at
tempt has not been made the last regis
tration contained no hope for the saloon
man. What next? Why. the primary
On March 10, OF course. This or the
city election two weeks following offers
the saloon mans only hope, and II IL
to be expected that saloon petition
will be circulated on the day Of the pri-
mary II not, then look out for an effort
to register and vote the men who will
sign I saloon consent Once . majority
!cs liberals eye voted and registered al
any election . saloon petition can
be circulated ct leisure afterwards and
with success. II u matter Of lie and
death for the saloon mans bisiness "a
Iexpect him 70 make . struggle to i've
Thus ones mind runs to the candi-
dates and the Apf5ng election. OF til
Iheld OF four candidates now funniA4
- there one who Il satisfactory ~ A.
~