Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-01-10
ROAD MEN WOULD TAX AUTOS.
Various Methoes of Giving Better
Roads Suggested at Des
Moires Meeting.

Des Moines, Jan. 3.-Enthusiasm
for systematic building of good roads
In the state OF Iowa drew together all
factions into harmonious and bene
fetal conference at the Y. NJ. c. A.
Three hundred representative Iowa
citizens, including twenty-five mem
bers of the next general assembly
dropped politics and for two hours
listened to series Of short address
es by keen thinking public spirited
citizens.
DEPRESSING slightly from the Ques'
ton of good roads Judge Horace E.
Deemer took decided knock at the
public school of Iowa, branding it "as
a mistake and archaic" The emf
nent jurist declared that the average
boy who went from the farm to
school, after leaving high school, was
less fitted for his lie on the farm
than when he entered school.
He also declared that Iowa would
have a drain on her population as
long as there are cheap lands. I'VE
must divide the farms and so in for
intensive farming" he said. I'VE
must adopt more modern methods,
and must improve the social life on
the farms"
Harvey lnsham advocated making
the county into an improvement dis
trict. He said that the voluntary
dragging of roads would never DO
satisfactory.
A number Of the speakers agreed
in advocating a tax on automobiles
and harrow tired vehicles to provide
a county road fund.
Prof. W. G. Raymond, Iowa City.
proposed state board of public
works to have charge of all road work
and inter county drainage work.
J. c. Marley and B. Stanton told
of the model thirty-two miles OF
dragged read in Poweshiek county.
Z. G. Whitney, Sioux City, favored
rewriting the entire road laws OF the
state to center the responsibility Of
the road work on the county.
Gov. Carroll mado short address
on good roads.
NJ. o. Eldredge of the national good
roads bureau of the United States de-
partment Of agriculture gave a stere-
optican lecture on good roads.
The Iowa Good Roads association
adopted the following resolutions:
Resolved. that in the interest Of
we favor a rewriting OF
the road lays of the state into Sin
gle act.
Second.-We favor the compulsory
dragging of earth roads and the Gre
alton of ron-divertable drag fund.
Third.-We favor simple system
of road management under a central
lied authority which shall work
through skilled and competent ap-
pointed officers.
state aid to encourage good road
building.
Fifth-It is the sense of the con-
ference that an increased per cent OF
our road fund be Entrusted to the
management OF the board of super
visors.
More Money for Fairs.
An appeal to the legislature for IN
increase in the state appropriations
to county fair funds will be made
during the next general assembly b!
the Iowa Association OF County and
District Fair Managers. At the thir
annual meeting of the association,
the newly elected officers were direct.
ed to draft a bill providing for the
increase.
According to W. ". Clark of Mar.
shalltown the present appropriation
is approximate ely s225 for cacl coun-
ty fair. He declared that the amount
should be increased 10 $1,000 for
each fair.
The Hon. Henry Wallace was the
speaker OF the evening. He address.
ed the fair managers on Ethics
County Fair Management" ID.
Long of Waverly spoke on "Adver.
Using" Fl. ]. Waters, president C |
the Kansas Agricultural college, tol
OF his experiences in the manage.
ment OF fairs. John c. Simpson gave
a report of the financial standing and
other statistics concerning county
fairs in the state.
Officers elected for the ensuing
year are as follows: President, ".
Clark of AlarshaIltown: vice presi.
dent, P. J. Mullin Of Fonda; treasur.
er, d. A. Long OF Wavelly.
State Loss $500 By Wind in Year.
The wind blew 5000 worth of ma.
teral from buildings owned by the
state of Iowa in the year soon 10
close. Tire did s2l,OSS59 damages
10 state structures. The total valuo /
Of state buildings is s11,2S7, 1876. |
The state does not carry fire insur.
ance. Boilers in various state insti-
tutions are. however, insured
Cook to Lecture in Ces Moines.
Dr.. Frederick A. Cook, arctic OK.
plorer, will lecture in Des AIoines |
in February under the aus
pices of the Press club. He comes 10 |
the city free OF expense to the club.
The proceeds of the lecture will lie
turned over to the Associated Chari- |
ties of Des Moines.
Capital City Items. |
Harry c. Smith, 81, Harlan. a..
died with typhoid fever at Mercy |
hospital. He is the fourteenth victim
NoiT CO.