Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-02-05
Building Highways.
IChicago Tribune.l

Road making has been a cause OF
scandal both in the way in which it has
been done and in the way in which 1t
has not been done.
In Iowa the amount spent In road
building has been computed. 1t reach
es total OF s11o.oos.o0o, and Iowa
can not show the roads. The money
has dribbled thru the hands Of super
visors. and If a sweeping statement.
virtually accurate, can be used, it has
been money wasted.
investigation might show something
of the same thing in Illinois. Time and
money are wasted thru bad methods,
and Illinois can not show the roads to
justify the expense.
Manufacturers OF road making ma
chinery and builders Of bridges have
added complications to the controversy
between the citizens wilo want and the
citizens who refuse TO pay for good
roads.
The statement Of Mr.. Charles Piez,
president Of the Illinois Manufacturers
Association, to the members OF the as
ISOLATION in convention in Springfield
points to a condition which has made
trouble in Iowa, and undoubtedly In IL
linois and other states.
Mr.. Piez told the manufacturers that
if they yielded to solicitation for con-
tributions to advance good roads bills
in the legislature they would be acting
directly aginst their own interests.
"The time is past he said. when
it is necessary to use cash to obtain
honest legislation from the legislat-
ure."
We trust that it Is past or is pass
ing, and 1t is certain that so long as the
opponents of good roads are able TO
| find the tracks OF private interests IN
, The proposals for good roads they Will
pu. the projects under suspicion anu
| INCREASINGLY oppose them.
Iowa finds it difficult to substitute an
efficient centralized road building au-
I. thority for the present supervisor sys-
tenn. because the corporations inter-
ested in road building material ano
machinery find greater profit in the
wasteful system.
In Illinois the corporations interested
/! more wisely have backed the central
lied system, but evidently only to its
detriment up to date.
| Illinois will be a long time in OBJ
! tanning gOO0 IOduS IL luS oPpoASAAsS ~
| such progress can lay their fingers or
a single suspicious circumstance In the
advocacy Of the bills.
The matter is one difficult for pol
! itfcs TO handle, and men as far sighted
and wise as Governor Deneen were
Obliged to move slowly In advocacy o.
! road building because so much animos'
ity was aroused by the propaganda. Al
one time the rural taxpayer feared the
automobile owner and charged him
with furnishing the motive behind roao
| bills. If he comes to fear the nanufac.
turers and bridge builders therell bt
another obstacle in the way.
/ Iowa's experience shows that money
is wasted-enough money to build goot
roads if it were properly spent-aht
! such argument will prevail with thu
| taxpayer IL he can be persuaded tina
the intent is not to levy on him extra
ordinarily but to obtain results TO;
him.
The resolutions adopted by the high
way Improvement convention II
Springfield outline methods which car
he sustained by argument Gradual!
the sentiment will be inclined strongl!
in favor of efficiency and economy, ant
the highways Of Illinois win be pulled
out Of the muck.