Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-09-25
STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION IN
vITEs INFORMATION As TO
NEGLECTED ROADS.
PLANS TO ENFORCE ORDER
IF COUNTIES DISOBEY
Incumbent on Engineers to Make Re-
pairs-Attention Called to Law Com
polling Dragging Of Roads Under Di-
rection Of Supervisors - Railroads

Special to Times Republican.
Mt Ayr, Sept. 25.-Editor T-R': l
would like to call the attention of the
readers of your paper to few OF the
problems for the fall of the year.
Working toward our aim of making
the highways of Iowa safe we have
taken up With the several railroad com
panies operating in the state the max
ing of safe crossings.
The railroad companies indicate a
willingness to do their part. 5ut the
part of the railroads is only a lesser
part The boards of supervisors, the
county engineers. the township trustees,
and the public in general have greater
part in this problem. the boards OF
supervisors engineers and trustees nave
the duty of making the entire approach
TO the railroad crossings safe, While the
railroad company has the duty of that
part of the approach which is IN the
right OF way. and the owner OF the land
adjoining the right of way owes a duty
Ia the public and the railroad company
RI remove timber, hedge brush. weeds
and all other distractions that make
the approach to the railroad crossings
dangerous. and the public in general
should furnish a public sentiment that
would see that ali these duties are per-
/ formed
There IS no time of the year more i'm :
portant than this for the repairing or
the highway. The commission recently
ordered the county engineers OF the
/ several counties to take up the re-
sponsibilities put upon them ny the
new Law for repairing Of the county
highways and we expect 10 enforce TINS
order. and if county highways are not
repaired we would like to have com :
plant made TO us of this fact.
Must Drag County Roads.
NEWSPAPERS Of the state. the last few
weeks. have made many complaints be-
/ cause the county road systems have not
! baer dra gged by the boards Of super
| visors this year.
The new law makes it the duty OF
| the boards of supervisors and the en-
eineers to contract for the dragging OF
the county roads and see that dragging
| is done under the contract, and in the
communication spoken of above to en-
| eineers we have called their attention
|
| for dragging county roads and the
re must be dragged in the fall and
! winter There is no season of the year
rhen drapeing is more important ant
more effective.
The commission hopes that public
sentiment will help them to get thu
county roads repaired and dragged.
Township Roads Must Be Dragged.
Under the new law township trus
tees have as great or greater duty t
drag township roads as they had under
the old law.
Two Million in Bridges.
The commission started out in Ma!
| TO make the bridges Of Iowa safe ant
in this undertaking We have had tint
! assistance of many boards of super
visors and most county engineers anc
| We claim to have accomplished a grea
deal in this undertaking and by TIT
time the contracts awarded are carried
out and the work undertaken is com
| pleted there will be more than $4,000,
0O0 worth Of safe new bridges in Iowa
| nearly all Of them permanent bridges
But this task is only begun ano it Il
time now for every one interested t
plan work for next year.
The taxes available next year will
not make all the bridges the boards o
| supervisors might wish to build. com
7nercial clubs, business men, organized
farmers clubs, individual go~a roa
boosters should chip in some extr;
money for this great cause. Anywa,
without the cost Of any money you ca
say a good word for what has beel
done this year and give encoura gemen
for doing more next year.
Talking good roads does not Away
make the roads better but we find
to be the usual thing that better road
follow free discussion about that job.
The commission has good roads talk
ers AND DousteTs vi character and a-s
perience that are available for goo
road speeches this winter without cos
to the community, and if you want t
hold a good roads meeting write GU
highway engineer. Mr.. Thomas f
Macdonald, at Ames, for a speaker.
H. c. BEARD,
Member State Highway Commission
MADDIEn EIErN NEA0e