Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-02-05
90 % ~7~A
His Mistakes.
mobile.

Mr.. Satcheil Is wasting MS time III
worrying about the paved rural road as
that proposition has been suggested
merely 10 show that under proper
system of state aid, county lewis and
special assessments against nearby
property in twenty annual installments
even the highest priced roads which
other states are building are possible
in Iowa. However, it is not proposed
that all permanent roads will be
paved. Most Of them will be graveled
at first. some of them will be macada-
mized and on trunk lines Of travel and
nearby large cities where traffic is very
heavy they Will be paved. In some
parts of Iowa where long freight hauls
are necessary. they will be paved be-
cause paving requires much less ma
terial.
In any permanent road plan state
board Of as capable engineers as the
Northwestern railroad employs should
decide upon the kind of roads to build
but the state should pay part OF the
cost. the county part and The benefited
property part.
Mr.. Satchell makes the mistake Of
guessing at things without consulting
VA
twelve-fo foot pavement is wide enough
is because traffic is confined TO the
pavement in wet weather and the dirt
road alongside is not cut up hence i,
sheds water instantly and dries quick
- fo. use i. turning out. The twelve
foot pavements which have been built
in Michigan at $4,000 per mile, have
had shoulders four feet wide on each
side Of 1acadaIn but at Newman, H.
brick pavement nine feet wide With
out rock shoulders has proved so salts
factory that farmers have oTered
bonuses as high as $4,000 from one man
to have the pavement extended to Hrs
farm.
Mr.. Satchel and others should
not condemn the concrete road pc
fore they examine it for the state
engineers of Wisconsin. Minnesota
Illinois, New York, and Ohio, and
the road engineer Of Los Angeles
county, where three millions are
being spent on roads in the one
county, have ell recommended the
concrete road 1t has been endorsed by
the director OF the United States Office
of public roads and demonstration
strips of 1t have been constructed IN
each of the above named states. Inc
reason that it is practicable wherever
traffic is heavy is that it requires little
or no upkeep while the best rock
raacadam roads in the world are being
raveied out by the modern automooiie
and twenty years Of constant repair
make them cost more in the long run
than the pavement. 1t is FOR this
reason that our cities and towns nc
longer ever think of anything but paw
ing for permanent street improvements
The reason Mr.. Satchell can't make
the twenty year bond plan figure Out
right is first tina. he uses per cent In
terest when other states bonds ant
county bonds sell for less and ever
local school bonds sell for less in Iowa;
secondly he he's taken the wrong
figures for the total amount Of taxable
property in Iowa, and thirdly he is mol
willing to concedc that the auto tax VII
grow any larger in volume in twenty
years. Under any state aid or oond plan
the state could not build faster than its
income, hence if the income did nc
materialize fewer miles OF road WousS
De built In Marshall county a ] nj!
levy will approximately pay for tn;
county's one third Of paved road from
border to border north, east. south ant
west.
But lets not quarre! about the kinc
of a road. If it is agreed that we want
permanent reads on the twenty pay
ms mt and state aid plan like more thar
half the states in the union are build
ing, let's get together and pull at the
legislature for the same laws tina
other states have and then leave the
building Of the roads to the state en-
| eineers. If we keep all the road money
! in the counties without any state ait
and if we try to get along from hand
RI mouth with the twenty payment bono
plan. we will never get permanent
roads not even gravel roads.-Ed.l