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

he would pay $500 bonus besides his
tax for a permanent road past his
place. Farms with stone or paved
road from their front gates to town
would jump $40 TO $50 per acre In value
as soon as the roads were built.
Inter. County Roads.
The talk Of inter-county roads has
been inspired by the desire to distri-
butte road improvement equitably thru
| out the state rather than TO bunch
the improvements In spots. When
towns begin to pave they pave Main
street first and gradually extend to
other streets. So must permanent
roads begin somewhere and the lines
Of travel from one big town to an
other would naturally come first on
state aid plan which was designed to
extend all over the state. Under the
special district plan districts would
naturally be formed with towns AS
center and the first roads improved
would be the main travelled roads
leading into town To place large APP
preparations. n state levy or even the
entire auto tax in the hands OF state
commission with authority to expend
the state money wherever this COM
mission should elect without the pro-
vision that the community and the
property benefited must pay it's share.
In other words If we attempt to build
state roads In spots with state money
gathered at large favoritism and poll
tics will make a combined attack upon
our state highway commission and no
matter how wise It's decision may be
the cry OF graft viii go up from every
locality which failed to draw a prize.
Imagine for a moment the noise that
would arise all over Iowa II Dies
Moines influence should succeed In OBJ
talning the first experiment at state
road building on the river to river road,
for instance. Contne the state money
to state aid to those localities which
will act for themselves and then let
the first come be the first served One
dollar Of state money viii build three
dollars OF permanent road.
How Il Figures Out.
Concrete pavements on rural high
ways have been built recently In Michi-
gan for $4,000 per mile. Rock mac
adam roads in Missouri. Ohio, Michi
gan and Wisconsin have cost from
$4,000 to $4,000 per mile and in Iowa IL
there were freight haule to be added,
they would cost more than $1,000 per
mile. Gravel roads in Michigan and
in Iowa where ,oca! grave, is nearby
have cost from $1,000 to $4,000 per mile
and If the material were to be shipped
In would cost $4,000 per mile.
The state by bonding its auto tax for
twenty years could pay one third o:
the cost OF 5000 miles OF paved roads.
of 10000 to 10000 miles OF macadamized
roads, or Of $1,000 to $4,000 miles Of
graveled roads. The state OF New
Jersey began several years ago to give
state aid and now has 1877 miles OF
stone roads completed. In Marshall
county l mill levy for twenty years
would very nearly pay for one-third of
ia pavement from border to border
north and south and also east and
west or for 100 to 1870 miles Of atone
roads. or for $50 to $50 miles of grav-
eled roads. And the assessment for
special benefits against lands abuttine
concrete roads on the Indiana two
mile plan would be SIS per annum for
each quarter section abutting and I'll
per annum for each quarter section
nearby. For stone roads about half
that and for graveled roads from one
third to one fifth as much. Experience
in all states has shown that when the
laws provide the way TO get permanent
roads the people will vote to build them.
All we need in Iowa is the legislation
that other states have and our people
will vote the same way that other peo-
pie have voted.