Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-02-03

nual meeting or the state association,
to be held in Des Moines Feb. IS and
10. The principal speakers were d.
w. Norris. Jr., editor Of the Times-Re-
publican, who talked about permanent
highways, and A. Sykes, of Des Moines,
president of the association.
The officers chosen were: President,
Warren Nichols; secretary and treas
urer, Robert Harper, both of Mari
eta township. Warren Nichols and
! George H. Goecke were selected to
attend the state convention and B. F.
Robinson and Sanford Collins were
named alternates.
Urge Permanent Highways.
AS a result of Mr.. Norris address a
resolution was adopted almost unani-
mously, urging the legislature to enact
some law that will make possible the
building Of permanent roads. but CIV
ing the taxpayers of each county the
right to control the tax they pay for
such Improvement. There was but one
negative vote on the resolution which
Mr.. Norris introduced after he had
finished speaking.
President Sykes appeared before the
meeting both in the interest Of tho
work of the local and the state assoc
citation, but also to give what impetus
he could to his candidacy for a place
on the interstate commerce commits
sion, that will become vacant March 4.
unless the senate ratifies Taft's reap
pointment Of Commissioner E. E.
Clark, Of Cedar Rapids. A resolution.
endorsing Sykes candidacy and rec
onmendtng him to President Elect
Wilson, was adopted. 3t
Norris Speaks for Rosds.s 3.
The subject Of permanent highways.
method Of construction. cost and plan
Of taxation to raise the money was
more thoroughly discussed than at any
other meeting of farmers ever held in
the city. After Mr.. Norris had fin
ished speaking all sorts Of questions
were fired at him.
He said thirty states in the union
! were now giving some form Of state
aid to counties for the construction OF
permanent stone roads, and that Iowa
should create state highway commits
sion, in the form of a salaried board.
with a state fund, to assist coutnies
in building permanent roads. This
commission should provide specifica-
lions for road work and approve all
contracts before giving state aid to the
counties.
Auto Tax Available.
He said that the automobile tax
should all be placed in state aid fund,
to be offered to the counties by the
state highway commission, only upon
the condition that the counties pay
one-third OF the cost from general
levy. and one third from assessments
against the property benefited By the
improved roads. With one automobile
per mile of the states area now, there
will be one for every quarter section
of land in the state within ten years.
The auto license of nearly $780, will
be over $1,000,000 per annum shortly
and, if anticipated, as many other
states do with their state aid funds on
a twenty-year bond plan, the auto tax
alone would pay for the states aid,
one third Of the cost of 5000 miles Of
paved or macadamized roads, both
principal and interest.
Other States Doing II.
He said New Jersey, which was the
first to attempt state aid in building
permanent roads, now has 1871 miles
Of stone roads. A political row is now
on In California between different To-
calities in the scramble to get part
of an $1S.000,000 state road fund.
New York has voted a second bond
issue of $50,o0O,OO0 for roads by
to vote. but there is universal COM
plant among engineers and economists
that the New York plan OF building
roads. wholly at state expense, has
proved extragavant.
He proposed that Iowa should use
state funds only to aid the counties to
the extent Of one-third, and that the
counties should levy the property tax
and pay one third from general
county levy. and onethird from a spe-
cial assessment against the property
benefited within two miles Of the i'm
proved road. on the same principle az
we now assess town lots for pavement
and lands for drainage. The two-mile
zone plan has long existed in Indiana.
Because the people should not be
taxed for the road in remote localities,
the counties should pay most of the
cost and keep their money at home.
Because the county generally should
not pay all of the cost for roads. which
enhance greatly the lands nearby, the
property benefited should pay part of
the cost.
Twenty-Year Bond Plan.
Mr.. Norris proposed that the counties
should be authorized to vote twenty
year bonds, to be paid of in annual
installments from the county levy and
the special assessment against property
benefited, as this was the method
adopted successfully in the vast ma jor-
ity Of states where permanent road
building has been done and would be
used in Iowa in case state bonds were
voted down.
He proposed that county boards Of
supervisors be authorized to create spe-
cial assessment road improvement dis
tricts, much the same as our special
assessment drainage districts. because
this method had proved very SUCCESS
full in Texas, Missouri. Ohio. California.
and several other states.
a He likewise proposed that state
bond iseue be voted which would be
1tn1tsd to such sums AZ could be paid