Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-02-07
IA. 8. Blair. Of Manchester

Manchester, Iowa. To the Editor:
In q recent issue I noticed that great
many men from the different parts OF
the state have expressed their ideas OF
what we should have In this state Tor
good roads, and there seem to be -
many opinions as there are writer's.
have investigated this matter to some
extent and have come to the conclusion
that the best law I have read Is tho
Michigan one. That law provides Tor
what they call two systematic one to
bond the county for any certain sum
for the purpose Of building good roads,
and the other to bond the township,
and it is for the board Of supervisors
OF each county to determine Whlcn
system they will have in their county.
The law provides that either where the
county system is adopted or where the
township system is adopted, vote
can be submitted to the people to bond
their county or township for term OF
not to exceed twenty years and to Is
sue bonds not to exceed per centum.
In Kent county Of that state, the
question was submitted to the voters to
bond the county for 100000 on ~ per
cent for twenty years. The county
contains the city Of Grand Rapids,
which has a population of 10000. As
they would be taxed the same as the
country, the vote was lost In that city
by small majority. but in the county
outside, where the farmers nearly all
voted for 1t, it was carried by ma
jority large enough to overcome the
;,&ot IN yod
Rapids, so that in the whole county it
was carried by small majority. The
supervisors then issued their bonds for
the sum of 100000 running twenty
years at AZ per cent, and advertised
for bidders. This last fall, they adj
copied bid from money syndicate
in Chicago and got a premium OF w.
500. so that they got $601, 800 for their
bonds. In addition to the provision
bonding the county or township, the
law provides that a reward be given
by the state to either the county OF
township that build good roads, II
built according to the requirements OF
the law. Under this provision the state
will reward the county or township by
paying $1,000 per mile for maca-
damized road or $3.50 per mile for
stone road. or $500 per mile for gravel
road, or $3.50 per mile for sand clay
road These roads are not built by the
county or township, but are built by
contra ctors who make the building OF
good roads a specially, and the con-
tract, after the bids are submitted, ID
given to the lowest responsible bidder
In this way the roads can be built
cheaper and better than can possibly
be built by the county or township.
as the contractors understand their
business. The contractor furnishes an
engineer. The reward Is q stimulus
to the people TO build good roads and
the contract which is let for the build
ing of the roads also provides that
one-third Of the cost OF the road 10 10
be paid by the state and the contrac-
tors are to rely upon that much OF the
cost Of the building so that 1t stimu-
lates them TO build according to speci-
fications. The average cost OF building
macadamized roads is $4,000 per mile !;
stone roads $500 per mile; gravel
roads, $4,000 per mile. Now. under
these laws and with the amount avail
able to Kent kounty.sthe county would
have 5000, 0Oo.:bThis will buid 900 miles
of macadamized roads, when Woulo
cross the county east and west over
twelve times. 1t would build $50 miles
Of stone roads, which would Cross the
county over fourteen times east and
west. It would build $50 miles OF
gravel roads, which would cross the
county over eighteen times east and
west. But the people do not build
roads in that way. The roads are built
from the market towns out in all direc-
lions. They do not build from lake to
lake roads which can only be for the
interest Of automobile tourists. BUT
they build roads which benefit all. The
people in the market towns who drive
automobiles, and nine-tenths OF their
business 10 In the county (not outside
Of it), are thus served better than they
would be by a lake to lake road. and