Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-02-08
,[By the Editor.1

IBy the Editof.J
Everybody wants good roads I'm Iowa
but hardly anybody agrees with his
neighbor AZ to how to get them. A ma
jority Of the states in the union are
80 far ahead Of Iowa in permanent
road work that their laws and their
experience should point the way in
Iowa. Nearly two-thirds OF the states
permit the issue Of county bonds for
permanent roads. over half of the
states give some form Of state aid or
bonus for permanent roads. A few Is
sue state bonds and build the state
roads at state expense while many
more permit the organization Of special
assessment road improvement districts
wherein the cost Of permanent roads
10 assessed to the town and farm prop
erty within the district benefited ny
the road Improvement and yet Iowa
does none of these things. Iowa makes
the dragging Of roads compulsory and
levies mill special tax for 1t, which
is moro than any other state does for
its dirt roads, but Iowa has stopped
with this piece Of advanced road leg
building hard surfaced roads.
Millions Fer Roads in Other States.
New Jersey began with state aid in
1891 and now has 3,377 miles of per-
manent rock faced roads. Maryland
has bonded itself for $6.00o.0o0 for per-
manent roads. New York state having
spent $50, 100000 for permanent roads
asked its people for $50.000,0Oo more
and the bonds were voted last fall
two to one. California has voted $lS,-
100000 for permanent roads and Los
Angeles county 100000 on its own
hook. Texas has the special assessment
district plan and last summer fifty
elections were held. receiving the nee
essary two.thirds vote In thirty
three Of them resulting in $780,
900 Of local bonds being voted
for permanent roads. Michigan gives
bonuses Of $500 per mile for graveled
roads, $3.50 for stone roads and $1,000
for macadamized or paved roads and
Wayne county has voted 100000 IN
bonds for paved roads out of Detroit
while 100000 In county bonds were
voted by the farmers In the vicinity OF
Grand Rapids over the opposition OF
the town. To the north Of US the peo-
pie Of Minnesota have voted to bond
q mill tax levy for ten years from
which the state is to pay half the cost
Of permanent roads while to the south
Of us the people living in district
twelve miles square. with Sedalia, Mo-,
as center, voted last summer $780,
900 for stone roads in that district. In
over two-thirds Of the states, !nclud-
ing several county bond issues in the
old south. something is being done for
permanent roads, but nothing In Iowa.
Il 10 Time to Act.
The time has come for the Iowa leg
islature to act. There should be a
state fund for aid in building perma-
nent roads and state highway COM
mission with engineers to administer
the state aid fund. Counties should be
permitted TO build roads on the twenty
payment plan 20 that each generation
Of taxpayers would pay fos their roads
IS they use them and; special assess
ment districts should be provided for
In order that localities. which want to
tax themselves for permanent roads,
can do so and in order that the special
benefit, which - conferred upon all
property adjacent to IN improved road
can be assessed to It. These are the
foundation stones of every permanent
road law that has accomplished any
thing in other states and should be
adopted in Iowa.
The Plan For lewa. IN
1. Create a salaried state highway
commission to administer all state aid
funds, to do all engineering work on
proposed state aid roads and to give
aid in building permanent, hard sur
faced roads by paying one third Of the
cost when the counties in which the
roads are built will obligate themselves
to pay one-third from general prop
erty tax and one-third from q special
assessment against the property bene-.
flied within two miles of said road inn
provement.
hicle license and the gun license tax as
state fund to aid in building perma-
nent. hard surfaced roads.
8. Authorize counties to issue twenty
year annual installment road bonds for
permanent road building provided one
third Of the cost Of such roads be
assessed to the benefited property
within two miles in each direction from
the road Improvement.
4. Authorize boards of supervisors of
IL e counties to levy not to exceed 3
mills instead Of mill as at present for
county rod purposes an6 also per-
NIT them to transfer from the bridge
fund to the road fund any monies not
used for bridge purposes.
5. Authorize county boards Of super
visors to create special assessment road
districts for the purpose
Of levying special assessment upon
the property within the district for
permanent road work provided ma
jority OF the voters in The district
should approve at an election held for
the purpose.
s. Submit to the voters of the state
the necessary authorization for issuing
twenty year annual installment bonds
not to exceed 100000 in any one year.
Provide that the proceeds Of such bonds
could be used by the state in paying for
its one-third of the cost Of permanent.
hard surfaced roads only as could be
paid both principal and interest from
the annual state aid income previously
provided by law and that proceeds Of
bonds in excess Of this shall be used
only when the counties obligate them
selves to pay the full amount Of the
excess back to the state with interest.
Z. II q general state levy Of I mill
is made appropriate It for the state aid
fund with the expectation Of discon-
tinuing 1t should this state bond issue
be authorized.
Take the Good, D1seard the Bad,