Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-02-08

liz bonds would be able to nay one.
third Of almost. half Q million dollars
worth of such roads in each county II
the state, from q county ievy-little more
than l mill. no larger than the pre- sent
road dragging tax, and the remaining
third from special assessments .agains,
the property benefited by the road i'm.
provement. The plan will work regard
less OF the decision Of the voters ir
an issue Of state bonds fol
half the states In the union are now
building permanent roads with county
bond issues alone, whereas not more
than ten or dozen Of the more ad
vanced states are issuing state bonds
and In either event the levying OF Z
tax must be voted upon by the peopl,
who are to pay 1t altho the state b,
ity Its offer to pay one-third the cos
will be the means of inducing the
localities to act.
County bonds for permanent stone
roads In Ohio, Indiana. Michigan, Iii.
nois. Pennsylvania and the New Eng,
land states have been issued for fifty
years or more and the issue of $4,000.
900 In Wayne COUNTY, Michigan, Of
$3.000,000 In Los Angeles county, Cali
fornia, and of $4,000 900 in Tarran
county, Texas, are the eonspicuou.
examples.
Tho State Highway Commission.
Study OF the work being done in thu
various states will reveal the fact tina
the most rapid achievement is made
possible by state aid and state ait
must be administered by state com
mission. This should be no honorary
ex-oificio body but working board o.
efficient men appointed by the gov
ernor with the approval Of the senate
and paid first class salaries. The Col
orado law will be found a good work.
ing model for such a commission. Thu
commission should be charged witt
the duty Of making all surveys. maps
charts and specifications for the I'm
provement of complete system Of In.
ter county state roads. To approve
contracts let by county. boards Of su'
pervisors before extending aid from the
state funds and to propose to county
boards and urge within the commun.
tiles the undertaking of permanent
road building. to locate road buildint
material and define the kind of roads
best suited to each locality.
But the state of Iowa should not un.
dertake the building Of roads withou,
the consent and cooperation of the
counties because the people who are t.
pay the taxes should be consulted as
to where roads are to be built and the
communities primarily benefited by the
Improvement should pay the taxes fol
= To I'D Ia <hn ~o$hAr}rer ~ 70
from all over Iowa by a general levy
to be concentrated by state dictun
upon the improvement OF the River tc
River road or upon any other road will
inevitably lead to disaster. A big po-
litical row Is now on in California IL
which the interests Of the northern
counties are clashing with those Of the
southern counties in struggle for ia
vor in the expenditure of the states
$4,000, 900. bond fund for roads. In
comparison the contest in Iowa be-
tween the friends Of two schools fol
pnssSsstoni Of an engineering depart
ment is as gentle zephyr. Politica
economists. experienced statesmen ant
students of taxation seem all to. bt
quite generally t&Teed that we must
not carry concentration Of authority
beyond the point Of taxation without
representation. 4 With: the state offer
ing to pay one- third OF the cost and
Offering to advance; to the counties the
funds with which to- pay. the remainder
permanent road building will go for
ward in this state. as fast as can be
done without making many costly mis-
takes In haste to beTrepented at the ex-
pense of the tax payer. The people
living near our cities wherestheir roads
are badly worn by the density Of traf-
f1c can go forward with their local pro-
jects for road Improvement and one
project will leads to others until the To-
calities under state engineering and
state aid will be building complete
system Of permanent roads for Iowa.
Special Benefits to Property.
The principle of assessing land ~
ing within two miles Of an improved
road for the special benefit to the land
has long been In use in Indiana
whe:e boards of supervisors have as
sessed lands within two miles Of an i'm
proved road for the special benefits
much as city councils. in Iowa assess
town lots for the special benefits from
street paving. AL men realize that a
farm which can boast Of stone road
from its front gate to town has been
enhanced in value thereby and should
pay special benefit.
The "two-mile" law in Indiana was
not altogether satisfactory because the
whole burden Of the entire cost was
assessed to the nearby land. Litigation
arose just as paving assessments in
our towns have been held excessive in
spots so Indiana now uses very largely
the township special district assess
states now recognize the rule of equity
laid down by the. supreme courts of
many states. viz, that there are three
distinct benefits in road improve
ments, the public benefit at large. the
local benefit to the property and people
in the vicinity and the special benefit
to property on the improved street.
Hence many states have adopted the
plan Of having the state at large pay
for the public benefit some estimating
it at 10 per cent while others go as high
as SO per cent. One-third Is the aver
age. This the state should pay in Iowa
while the county should pay the benefit
to the nearby vicinity leaving the
specially benefited only a
third to pay. Under such plan the
property owners. themselves. would
petition Tor the hard roads
az they have done in Indiana under the
district, .as they do In Texas
under the special assessment district.
rs they did near Grand Rapids. Mich.
under a state bonus and county bond