Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1911-07-05
RAISING THE II MONEY.
BOND ISSUE IS BEST WAY TO PAY
FOR GOOD ROADS.
EFFORTS OFTEN INSTRUCTED
Good Roads Fever Carries Community
On Its Feet Frequently and Work
u Started Along Impractical Lines
lax Levy Plan Wrong.
BY HOWARD Il. GROSS.

~
In forwarding any great movement,
rs the bullding OF good roads. enthus-
iasm Is essential, but unless this is
coupled with a knowledge OF the sub
ject, tt is question whether it some
times does not do more harm than
good. The writer believes that a
movement for better highways is Oft
en- retarded by oyer-zealous friends
who are attempting to do something
they do not understand. The propo-
sition 10 build good roads throughout
the land is very big one, and ex-
ceedIpgly important. 1t is a question
that pust be handled in big way.
III anyone had suggested fifty years
ago the building OF railway to the
Pacific slope, he would have been de-
clared at least visionary. This has
been accomplished and today there
ARE half dozen such railways. and
the four months journey across the
desertis now comprised in less than
three days. While the building Of
good wagon roads throughout the
country Is an immeasurably big Job,
yet there are back of it boundless re-
sources. there is far more to encour-
age us than the builders Of these first
great continental roads had to en-
courage them. Let us go forward
with a stout heart and high purpose
and with clear head. and all will
come o,1t right.
In a good roads campaign one OF
the m-ost important things is to un-
learn some things that are not so. to
get view of the proposition from
the right angle. and not to work along
impractical lines, Tho good roads
fever Usually breaks out in some com
munity with hurrah, to build mile
or two OF hard roads. and there Is a
sduabb'e to determine which particu.
lar road shall have the improvement.
Selfshness crops out and must be
reckoned with. When the particular
road has been determined upon, then
comes The question of raising funds.
Those who are disappointed will give
nothing, others will contribute va
rious amounts: the banker, merchant
and grain dealer are called upon and
subscribe different sums: others will
contribute labor; an entertainment
will be- held in the town hall, the pro-
ceeds e. be devoted to the building of
the road Tho local paper will be
filled with letters, interviews and edi.
torials: every body is patting himself
on the back and talking OF the won
derful progress that Is being made.
This Is all very well SO far as 1t
goes. and perhaps the moral effect Is
good-1 stirs up the community. but
It does not do very much in the way
Of road building. Usually half mile
or SO In the limit and may reach from
the town to the cemetery. Well. that
does some good, and will give a de-
parting citizen smoother road in
death than he had in life.
The means employed in such a cam
paign are wholly inadequate to the
end sought. 1t reminds one Of the
old Woman who proposed to keep the
tide back with her broom.
There are also other unsatisfactory.
expensIye and wrong ways to take up
this question. The most common one
is for tie township to levy an annual
itax for hard roads that will produce
perhaps 81 900 or $4,000 and expend 1t
upon gravel or macadam stretch of
road, which is to be extended from
year To- year at rate that will give
the township fair amount Of hard
roads, aAy. In twenty or thirty years.
by the lime the last mile is built un-
der this plan. the nrst one is worn
tout, therule being that the road once
built receives no attention. and that
the money raised Is spent upon build
ting more roads. The roads are usu-
ally built without much. II any. at
itention being paid to drainage, and
the results are not always satisfac-
tory. ln fact, they are seldom what
they should be. Those charged with
the duty Of spending the money nine
teen times In twenty know little IL