Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-01-22
Another Farmer "a fra;d EIs
of Rural Placements.

make an excellent road; more Of them,
and roads we can all use. but am OPP
posed to paving and believe large
majority Of the farmers are of the
same opinion. .
Union, Iowa.
(Mr. Rowen should have been a
satirist for he has talents in that line.
He is probably right in his belief thai
a. majority of farmers are opposed to
paving but he himself is a fair example
of the reason why They do not yet
understand how to get it or what it Is
worth to them. He thinks that the
farmers are not clamoring for paw
ing, but they did not clamor for rural
delivery of mail until the government
brought II to them and showed them
what 1t meant. They did not clamor
for telephones until long after the peo-
ple in town had enjoyed them and a
few town men had run lines out to
their own farms. Fifteen years ago
road drag was curiosity and farmers
thought it a trifling thing but the
newspapers took hold of it and by ed
ucating the farmer we now make ROAD
dragging compulsory by law. Even
yet be converted to rural pavements
when they are as we'll understood as
the road drag Is today.
II Mr.. Rowen knew that complete
system Of paved highways connecting
every county seat in the state Would
cost his quarter section 81 per annum
provided his land did not lie within
two miles of such a pavement he would
be ashamed to ridicule the project.
How can this be? In the first place the
automobile owner will pay one-third OF
the entire cost of such system II
is somewhat out of place to roast the
automobile booster for being the only
fellow who wants rural pavements
when he is willing to pay one-third the
cost. Iowa now has an automobile Tor
every section of farm land. The FAC
tories of the country this coming year
will increase their output so per cent
1t is safe to say that in five years Iowa
will have an automobile for every hall
section of land and in ten years Will
have one for every quarter section OF
land within her borders When the
owner of an automobile is willing to
pay $40 per annum for paved roads
owners of quarter sections of Iowa
land will look like 80 cents kicking
about a tax Of 81 per annum for the
same pavement
But how is this? 1t is proposed that
these inter-county pavements be putt
from the proceeds of twenty year bond
issues. that the automobile tax be used
to pay one-third for the state. that
the counties levy 1-mill tax like the
road dragging tax to pay one-third and
that the remaining third be assessed
to the nearby land according to the
benefits it receives from the paving.
The quarter section abutting would
pay $25 per annum and farms within
two miles would pay So per annum.
The 1-mill levy will tax each quarter
section 81 per annum.
Mr.. Rowen seems to be sore because
the official motor road to Eldora misses
his town and wants to know who Is
to blame Just now motorists hunt the
best roads and evidently the east route
runs among farmers who care more
for their roads The inter county
pavements would be laid out by state
engineers and would serve as many
towns as possible. naturally so as to
interest the most people. Mr.. Rowen
could then get the official route
changed over his way but. of course,
if he still Jagged behind in the good
roads movement the fellows east OF
him might beat him to it,
In Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana,
Michigan, Illinois, New York, New
Jersey and California, where paved
roads have been built the farmers. af-
ter they saw what pavements We're,
have offered big cash bonuses to get
them laid past their farms. This is
what will come in Iowa after the state
has built it's inter-county system to
demonstrate the work.
In town when advertising property
for sale or rent we always state ION
paved street" II we can. The time will
come when farm owners will do the
same Mr.. Rowen will then have
learned that the man In town is willing
to pay on single building lot as much
tax for paving as the farmer will ever
have to pay on a quarter section Of
land.-Ed.]