Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-02-05
Thinks Gravsl III Best For Roads

! equals ~ $685. 900. the total amount ~
interest to be paid. on bonds. TAS
SCI. 100000 in bonds plus the S23, 900 .ooe
interest equals 3s7.500 .00O. the total
cost Of constructing county seat TO
county seat roads twelve feet wide
over the state at the estimated cost
OF $4,000 per mile.
From this computation we ind that
Instead Of the auto and one mill tax
paying two-thirds Of the cost OF con-
struction. 1t pays but little more than
one-third Of only a 12-foot roam,
leaving $46,105.SS0 to be put up by
nearby land owners. Not very In
significant sum after ALL But says
one, in ten years we will have double
the number Of autos we have now.
please don't count your chickens be-
fore they hatch Il may be true, but
It is lust as true that the cost Of ma
terial may be doubled in one year Il
this work should he started. Besides
all that, we do not know what may
become Of the auto in the next ten
years. Those Of us who are fortunate
enough to occupy place on this mum.
dane sphere ten years hence may be
skimming about in an air ship with
the auto consigned to the junk pile. and
it would hardly be fair to tax flying
machines to build paved roads.
Again it is claimed that other states
have paved and are paving. That all
may be true too, but II those stated
had had the kind Of roads, or the kind
Of ground over which to make roada
that we have here in Iowa, they prob.
ably would have done no paving In =
hundred years. pay 8
It is true that in Michigan. for ex.
ample. they have short stretches OF
pavement or macadam over the
swamps which It would be impossible
to cross without something OF that
nature or over sand dunes where tho
sand il half hub deep even In dry
weather, but they have no Il great
stretches of continuous pavement or
macadam except near large cities, and
we are told by one OF lowa's most
expert auto drivers that our Iowa
roads when properly graveled and
smoothed down are much better than
the pavement and macadan1 OF Michi-
gan. Besides in Michigan, Wisconsin,
and a number OF eastern states where
macadam is much used there are ex-
tensive iron mines which have im-
measurable quantities. Of rock which
must be moved, and the mining COM
panies are only too glad to get rid Of
it without cost to any one who will
take it way. making the cost Of road
construction much less than it would b
here in Iowa.
But this article Is already too long
and will conclude by saying that we
are not opposed to road improve.
ment. but we believe there should be
a small state levy to combine with
the auto tax and to be used In un-
derdraining and gravelins the high
ways wherever most needed and that
the auto tax should be kept and used
in the county where paid. but as to
paving the. country roads, let no ono
be deceived. The combined auto and
one mill tax would not pay the In.
terest on a S50,000.0o0 bond issue.
much less pay two-thirds Of the entire
cost. But why pfolong this discuss
sion. the enormous cost Of pavement
m axes it absolutely prohibitive and
well drained and we'll graveled roads
are all sufficient. a,
q w. NJ. SATCHE1L.
E7Jdoro-@yova- - ~, ..ys&