Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-08-22
THE ROAD QUESTION.

BY Robert N. carson In Iowa lily
Press: We hear Of complaint and crit
of road dragging and other road work
usually done by the farmers along tho
River-to- River road and other high
WAYS In this county. AS matter of
fact Johnson county Is not alone In
this connection, at this season of the
year. The farmers just now are busy,
and short Of help at that, thresh1ng
their small grain and bumper crop
thrown in to make the work harder
and of longer duration.
Can we blame the farmer for looking
after his crops in preference to road
work? No! When the greatest amount
of road work should be DONE which Is
in the spring of the year, the farmer is
then busy.
What Iowa needs today Is law
placing the road work IN the hands OF
q competent road engineer assisted by
practical road men, tools and other
equipment. In other words road gangs
to do the work and do 1t systematically
and effectively. Each county engineer
to be directed by the county board Of
supervisors. The trouble with our road
work today is that it lacks system and
throughness.
We hear men complaining about con-
dltion Of the roads and the complaint
is probably justified. but until we get
at the matter in q practical way. we
can experience the same condition as
now from day to day and year to year.
with no prospects Of improvement.
Today we find some Of our men whose
business 1t Is to care for the roads, I'M
der the direction OF the township trus-
tee, driving to 10 miles from his home
before he reaches the job and then re-
L. ~ ~ ~ ho Of Yc
this system to be continued In the In
terest Of the tax payer?
Business men must awaken to the
fact that it will be time we'll spent and
greatly to their interests, to be on hand
when the legislature meets and see that
practical laws are passed for the inter-
est Of business and the tax payers and
not for the benefit Of a bunch Of poll
ticians.
Chambers Of commerce and CONNER
cial organizations are becoming active
in the promotion Of good roads, be-
cause they are grasping the commercial
value of the proposition. Motor clubs
have attempted to handle this In the
past and have made good progress.
However they have been greatly ham
dicapped, because to the average man
1t appears they are doing so from
selfish motive, viz, to simply benefit
LHo L. :
l have been interested in good roads
work for several years and firmly be-
lieve no marked progress will be made
and the work done effectively, until
our laws are changed.
It simply needs some on ION the job"
and the county engineer, under the d.
rection Of the board of supervisors.
with his several gangs of men, teams
and tools will get results and save
money for the tax payer.
The road dragging can be taken care
Of by men and teams in the same man
ner. Do not expect the farmer to give
u his busy days on the farm for road
work. The average business man will
not do so for outside work, even though
he is paid a reasonable sum Of money.
It is time we are looking at this
road problem fairly and squarely. The
roads over Johnson county are in fairly
good condition. Where they follow the
creek and river valleys the soil Is sandy
and it takes yellow clay and money to
put sandy roads in good condition.
Robt. N. Carson, Iowa City, Ia. /