Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-10-02

of weather or roads, We must have
open roads in winter as well as sum
mer, as you all know very well that
no team 1cn break more than about
ten to twei @ miles of drifted roads
in one day and be any good the rest
of the week.
Now, the question is, how are we
going to get open roads? hear
some one say that the patrons along
the routes always get out and break
the roads. Yes, it is true that they
should, but do they? | will let you
answer that. | do not wish to chltl-
else any one in particular, as | have
&ny good loyal patrons who have
= by me for eleven long years.
nn\ q 10. 4 IN Winneshiek county,
but ii q. stretches that are not
broken Y - our horses. | can
we'll remea. q e. trip that cost
me $40, ana., cost me s25,
and several thsfi9 .-e from 50 to
$40 each, all .. ,R..9:h if the roads
had been broken would have beer
saved.
After Il years experience in this
work | have come to the conclusion
that the only way to remedy this
matter is for the township trustees TO
hire men and teams ana open up the
rural routes after each storm under
a plan similar to what is now in
practice in dragging in summer. You
might say this will be impracticable
because 1t will be too expensive. 1t
need not cost very much. You can
always get meu and teams to work
in winter, whereas in summer 1t Is
pretty hard to get them TO leave the
field work AMI work on the road. |
can't see why the rural carriers, the
farmers AMI the travelling public are
not just as much entitled TO pass
able road in winter as in summer.
If it was the business of these men
when spring. time came and the
snow began to melt, they could turn
the water out of the road, and In
many cases in one hours work could
save at least $25 worth of grading.
never could see the sense OF sper d.
ing thousands of dollars in summer
to be all washed away in the spring,
wnen just little care at the proper
time would save it. 1t isn't busl-
ness, brother carriers.
The township trustees should be
compelled by law TO look after the
roads at all times of the year and
keep them in proper condition.
You now ask township trustee
to do any work in the winter or
spring and he will simply tell you he
has no money to do it with.
What we want is 10 have our Iowa
~oad law amended SO that portion
of the money is reserved for use III
the winter and spring months. AS
n rule township trustees and road
superintendents will work overtime
to spend all the money III the IAN
OF the year, before time 10 make
returns to the town clerk. when as
d matter OF fact much Of the work
that is done late in the fall had bet
ter not be done at all, and the money
saved for use in the winter ana
spring. | have before the resolu-
tions committee a resolution which
reads as follows, which hope you
will see fit to give favorable consld-
leration:
Resolved, d,-That as the Depart
ment expects us to render complete
service in all kinds OF weather and
roads, and knowing as we DO the
utter impCs sibility OF doing so under
the present condition OF roads dur
ing the winter months, we ask that
national ala be given to such an ey-
tent that will make passable all bad
places on the rural routes that have
heretofore been impossible at times;
and that the State General Assembly
be asked to amend the Iowa road
law so as to compel the township
trustees to reserve enough money In
the fall Of the year to keep all rural
mail routes open and free from i'm
passable snow drifts. by opening
them Mp directly after each SHOW
storm. Also to protect the roads
from washing away In spring time
when the snow begins to melt.