The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1911-03-22
MOVE FOR GOOD ROADS.

MOVE FOR GOOD ROADS.
The friends of good roads have
been active in the present leglsla-
ture and the indications now are
that Iowa will have as good roads
in the near future as it is possible
to have with the material at hand.
Iowa as state is not blessed with
the best road building in the world,
and the only thing to do is to make
the best of what we have at hand.
The first move made by the legis-
lature was to provide the money for
roads. The handiest thing at hand
to tax was of course the auto, and
as auto owners are the ones who
are making the moast noise they Will
have no reason to kick. The tax is
based on the horsepower OF the auto
and is calculated to be in proper
ton to the weight Of the machine.
The bill provides for the following
registration fees:
Section The following fee
shall be paid to the secretary OF
state upon the registration of re-
registration of a motor vehicle in
accordance with the provisions of
this act; SO upon the registration
of motor vehicle having rat
ing of 20 horse power or less; and
for each such vehicle which shall
exceed 20 horse power, the owner
shall pay at the rate OF 40 cents
per horse power, provided that ii
a motor vehicle shall have been IL
censed for four separate years here
under, and for which there shall
have been paid the annual registra-
ton fee herein provided during said
period, or any motor vehicles which
shall have been in use for a per-
iod of not less than four years prev
rious to the taking effect of this act,
the annual registration fee there
afte shall be One-half that amount.
This tax will be collected by the
state and IS per cent OF the tax
collected will be turned over to the
county from which the tax is de-
rived.
This tax will be a little trying on
certain auto dealers, who have always
rated their cars at a higher power
than they are capable of developing
If they cut down the power to where
it belongs, it will be a bad adver
{ tisement for their car and ii they
rate it above what it actually is, 1t
will put an extra tax on the owner.
: The next move was to pass the
Cunningham road drag law. The bill
provides first that the township trus
tees shall from time to time designate
what districts shall be dragged, which
shall include all mail routes and all
main travelled roads within the town
ship; they shall at their regular meet
ing in April or at special meetlrs
called for that purpose, appoint a
SUPERINTENDENT of dragging, who shall
be resident of the township or any
city or town within said township
!, who shall serve for one year, unless
sooner removed by the board; they
, shall fix the amount of his compensa
ton, which shall not exceed $3.50 pei
day, and actual expenses for each day
of eight hours while engaged in the
necessary work.
) The other important provisions oi
the bill are as follows:
ut shall be the duty of the super
: intendent of dragging to cause al
, roads to be dragged that the township
trustees may from time to time direct
: at such times as in his Judgment is
most beneficial. He shall cause the
. work to be done by giving the parties
contracted with for the performance
, of such service such notice as
: the township trustee may deem
: sufficient; he shall on or before the
: 18th day of April in each year con
J tract with as many suitable persons
as he deems necessary to drag the
roads in the township for that year
!, but shall not apportion the dragging
of more than six miles of the road to
; any one person. The superintendent
may at any time cancel such con
tract or contracts, for dragging the