Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-06-19
GOOD ROADS IN iowa
Entire State Has Had an Awakening
the Past Few Years.
PROMINENT BANKER HAS IDEA.
President of Alton Bank Tells AssO-
citation Much that is Worthy of
Public Reflection.


Savings Bank of Alton, gave this in
teresting and instructive address to
the bankers of group nine when the
financiers met at Lamont recently
Mr. Blackwell said:
$50 much has been said upon the
subject of good roads that we. are all
convinced, I'm sure, of their import
ance as factor in the development
of our farms and the general pros
perity of cur people.
We have in round figures two
million, two hundred thousand miles
of public roads in the United States,
which is more than double that Of
all European countries combined and
we are spending one hundred and
forty-two millions annually on them,
which exceeds the total expenditures
of both France and Germany, and
yet only about per cent of our
| I per cent is actually less than the
mileage of either France or Germany
in which practically all the roads are
| improved But it must be remem-
bered that we are just starting in our
road work, whereas in Europe it
started many years ago with the
building of improved roads by Ma
poleon for the rapid moving of his
armies, which at that time aston!ch-
ed the world.
These figures enable us to form
some idea of the bigness of our road
problem and also point to the fact
that up to the present time we have
not much to show for the large sum
of money alreay spent. and yet tais
sum sinks into insignihcance in COM
parison with the many millions lost
and wasted annually on account of
our poor roads.
Statistics show that more than
double the tonnage hauled over all
the railroads in the United States
passed over country roads, and the
bureau of good roads at Washington
says the cost of hauling freight over
our improved roads is 3 cents per
ton less than over ordinary dirt
roads, which figures out mud waste
of over four hundred million dollars
per annum, or more than the total
annual railroad earnings, and the
saving of which in five years would
amount to enough to pay off the in
terest bearing debt of the United
States and to dig and fortify the
Panama canal. And adding to this
the estimated losses in business caus-
ed by bad roads we have the appal-
ling amount of one billion dollars
per annum, burden of S12 year
for every man, woman AMI child in
the United States.
Surely the road question is ma
tional problem, greater than that of
rivers and harbors or even the tariff,
and what is being done to solve it?
First, let us give the devil-the
red devil as he used to be called
his just dues. There are about six
hundred thousand automobiles in use
in the United States at this time and
while it has not been a popular thing
to give the automobiles credit for
anything but runaways and smash
ups, / think the time has arrived
when We should acknowledge the
great pioneer work done by them in
educating us to a realization of the
value of good roads.
Their actual carrying capacity ex-
ceeds that of all passenger traffic in
the country. 1t is estimated that each
occupant of touring car spends on
an average of "a per day as these
tourists pass over route, and the
town and the people living thereon
are directly benefited by their ex-
penditures, and they are also con-
tributing largely of their time and
money to the cause of good roads In
every conceivable way, in addition to
Paying large amonts in licenses and
taxes.
Then, too, they are helping to a
large extent to keep at home the
four hundred million dollars said to
be spent by American tourists abroad
each year.
Many of the states are passing
special legislation in the interest OF
good roads. For instance, New York
state has appropriated fifty millions
to be spent five millions per year in
building improved highways, ana
New Jersey is given the credit Of
having the best and most improved
highways of any state in the union.
Our. own state of Iowa will have
about seven millions to spend on her
roads this year, which, added to the
work land time contributed by the
different trail associations like the
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