Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-03-25
TICE REPLIES TO
ATTACKS ON BILL
Originator Of Measure to Pro-
vide Improved Roads for
Illinois Defends Ideas.

In view Of the stand taken by the
the Rock Island county board Of su-
perVisors against the Tice road bill.
now before the Illinois legislature, II ,
might be interesting to hear from
the originator Of the measure. Mr.. /
Tice last week attended a good roads
meeting at Bloomington. The Panta. |
graph, reporting the proceedings, said:
Homer J. Tice Of Greenyiew, the 1
originator Of the bill, was the first I
speaker. He stated that he had been /
accused Of promoting every auto, con /
crete and brick company in the state, |
and said that he had no connection |
with any other business than farming. I
The aim Of the bill Is TO benefit every /.
man, woman and child In the state. 4
He said that the last two years have
been spent IN investigating the roads /
OF this state and other states. The
committee have gone into other states.
and asked what changes Of the road
law they would mako for its better.
ment The best men that could be
employed for this work were gotten
and the result OF II all is the present
bill. Mr.. Tice admits that the bill
is not perfect.
Mr.. Tice explained The large Tea,
lures Of the road bnl almost iden-
ticeny as they have been told IN the
Paragraph the past 10 days. and an
swered several questions that brought
out some Of the points more in detail.
He thinks that before the law is passed
q limit should be put upon the amount
OF state money that can be expended
in any one county IN one year; the
legislative committee attempted this,
but were unable 70 agree upon It.
He made Il very clear that no state
aid road could be forced upon any
county. II must be petitioned for by
the county supervisors. and then when
all the plans and specifications have
been settled and perhaps modified by
the state highway commissioners, the
county still has full option 70 refuse
70 build the road II the modified plans
do not suit. Even the county super
visors cannot go ahead with the road
unless all the money for II Is IN the
treasury. and Mr.. Tice thought that
not county In the state had any such
surplus. II more money than that
in the county treasury 10 20 be used
the issue OF bonds 20 obtain II must
be submitted 20 the people OF the
county with the plan OF the road and
known cost, and II the voters OF the
county DO not approve the road II can.
not be built Isn't this home ruler
Tt was made quite clear that the
Intention is 20 have q system Of
through roads 10 connect the leading
trading points; map OF such roads
is one OF the first duties Of the state
highway engineer. Then when q coun-
y desires 70 build q state aid road
II must be q part, a connecting link
Of one Of these through-the-state roads,
as from Bloomington TO Springfield or
90 Peoria, or 70 Joliet or TO Decatur,
pr 70 DAnville. Il was objected that
this plan for direct roads through the
state would be defeated because any
county could refuse 10 build its sec
ton Of the road: and then Mr.. Tlce
admitted that weakness, but asked
az once II Il would be advisable 10
make a law that would compel any
county TO build so much road or that
would compei the state to build the
road through such county, and there
were ready answers OF mo" from the
audience.
1T was asked whether under this
bin any township couldn't go ahead and
build hard roads Just where Il wanted
them, and Mr. Tice answered that II
could. just as under the present law
only that the county would have to
pay 10 per cent OF the COST OF such q
township road And right there Mr.
Tice said that the farmers OF the state
paid 27.6 per cent Of the taxes Of
the state. and the corporations and
city people 72.4 per cent Of the taxes
and that he was mighty willing as q
farmer 70 have the city people con
tribute this proportion OF the cost o.
the highways Of the state. He saiC
that one-halt OF the road and bridge
tax raised IN the city OF Bloomington
must so into the county road anC
bridge fund.
NO one type OF road Is decided
upon that Is left absolutely in tn,
hands Of the authorities. J II. Burn
ham, who was present, thought tina
the state engineer and commissions
might decide that 20-foot roads cost
ing $4,000 a mile. must be built, be
cause the engineer had seemingly "a