Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-01-21
~ "a fraid Of Rural Placements

Editor Times Republican,: Following
the suggestion of your editorial Of Jan,
10, I have tried to figure out the prob
able cost OF cement roads In the coun-
try.
Taking the contract price OF cement
paving, Of $l.0s per square yard IN
Marshalltown as q basis, 1t would IN
dictate that country paving could not
be done for less than $3.50, because OF
the increased distance Of carriage and
freight costs. Added to this would be
the cost Of excavating, filling and
building permanent bridges, making
an increase of at least so cents. At this
cost per yard a road fifteen feet wide
would cost each quarter section ST.
466.66. providing the state and county
each paid third. Interest on this sum.
at 6 per cent, plus one-twentieth to be
set aside to take up the twenty-year
bonds, would be $161.30. Add to this
$40 per year for upkeep and the total
is $171.30, or $1.07 per. acre is about
the cost per year for a fifteen-foot
paved road.
Now the question is, care they worth
$3.50 per year more than well dragged
dirt roads?" What proportion of the
time are they needed? What advantage
or disadvantage are they? How long
will they last? Will they stand up I'M
der twelve-ton traction engine?
There's a whole host Of such ques-
tions that must be answered to the
people Of the state. Some l have ideas
about, some science can answer, and
some only time and experience will
show the true solution.
AS to the length of time paved
roads are needed each year. I would
say, that two or three months is the
E-...t During a winter such as last
winter they would have been of no use
at all for over three months. This win
ter, so far, they would have been the
same for good dirt road, we'll
dragged, is in my opinion far superior
to pavement, for every horse used on
the road must be shod. and for farm
horses this is heavy burden.
The great pile Of horse shoes around
the blacksmith's shops Of the eastern
states are mute witnesses to this state
ment. For three weeks in the spring,
and perhaps a fifth Of the other time of
the year, paved road would be an adj
vantage. Personally. paved road
would not lessen the cost of hauling
grain to town, for in eighteen years
not a bushel of grain has been sold
off the farm.
Taking all things into consideration
I believe it best to go slow with the
paved road problem. Make experiments
of short stretches to determine costs
and durability of the various pave
ments. Make experiments to determine
the just superintendent Of the cost, FOR
surely a man living within half mile
Of a paved road should pay more than
man living ten miles from it. Lastly.
IN discussing the problem, be just. and
remember that all men do not see
things from the same angle.
D. w. BUCK.
Rhodes, Iowa
INF. Buck writes a very fair article
in stating his fears as to the paving OF
country roads, considering that 1t is
written merely as one mans theory
without access to facts. But the facts
are to be had and they make things
seem less difficult The concrete roads
being built out Of Detroit are twelve
feet wide and cost $4,000 per mile on
an average. The extra haul is over
come by traction engines hauling
trains of dump carts. AT this price. on
twenty-year bond issue, the state
could pay one third Of the cost, and
all OF the overhead expense of engi-
neering out of the auto tax. 1-mill
county levy the same in size as road
dragging tax and costing 81 per quar-
ter section Of land. would pay the
county's third, while the other third.
if rightly apportioned, would cost a
quarter section of land abutting a
paved highway s25 per annum, and
quarter sections within two miles Of
such road So per annum.
II Mr.. Buck will visit Newman, ILL.,,
he will find a rural road paved with
brick nine feet wide for four miles