Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-05-01
GOOD ROADS PREFERRED.

court house to the farmers of Mon
tana, according to the demands of a
delegation Of over 100, as reported IN
the Billings Journal. The farmers of
the western state would rather have
their county borrow money to improve
the highways than build q tenn
pie Of justice, and the county commits
sioners of Saltwater county have
rented building for q court house
and win proceed to issue county bonds
for building roads.
'"The Farmers of Montana" COM
ments the Marshalltown Times
SRepublican, ''are somewhat different
khan the muddwaddlers Of Iowa. They
Nave figured that . permanent hard
1lurfaced road built now and paid for
IA twenty years ia better investment
FOR them than magnificent cut stone
eourt house and 1t is sounder busi-
mess policy than trying to build ex-
kbensfve highway improvements on the
le,and to mouth plan Of using only one
81ears tax money at time. The farm
!rs Of Iowa have been voting court
blouse bonds 30 long that they have
|faow Invested approximately $15,0OO,-
200 IN cut stone and marble Offices for
Rsheir $500 county clerks and treas
Snrers while scarcely mile of hard
surfaced road has been built In the
state. The wide-awake fellows who
Iaro getting rich in Montana have the
Enew ideas OF things. With them roads
Ito Increase the value of their lands are
Ito come first and marble corridors for
Mhe county employees must wait"
Ia The Billings Journal tells the story
las follows:
Ss Good roads will be the first consid-
lgsretion OF the commissioners OF Still
water county, according to L. II. II.
Ryerson and ". y. Tabor, Of stickley,
who are in the city today on business
after having appeared before the COM
missionars to represent about 100
farmers In the Stckley section Of the
Lake Basin country. The erection OF
! county court housesa and all other
matters will be made secondary to the
road problem in the county until good
N ghways have been provided. !.
Ea According to Mr.. Ryerson the coun-
|Ny commissioners have been requested,
Ei.nd have shown q Willingness to COM
Eply, to bond the county for the con-
struction Of good roads In preference
10 other improvements II this Is done
ssp money secured by the bond issue
4 be divided among the various dis
n Ms in the county according to their
u De- and farmers will be given good
ts as soon as they can be secured.
N. The farmers Of the county and the
business men generally have come to
the conclusion that It would be better
to construct roads now which could
be paid for in twenty years, than to
expend the money regularly collected
in taxes each year for this work, and
have to build the roads up gradually.
They figure that the amount of money
saved farmers in hauling produce to
market In the twenty years will pay
tor the roads.
''The county commissioners, instead
OF beginning at once to plan for the
erection Of q new court house, which
would necessitate q bond issue, have
secured the old Maryland hotel in
Columbus and have large force Of
workmen making the necessary alter
ations to fit the building up as a
temporary court house, A substan-
tial vault in which the county books
are to be kept will be constructed
and Jail will be built In the rear Of
the court house. Contract for supply
ing the necessary books for the new
county was let yesterday to the Ga
zette Printing company, and the books
will be IN the hands OF the county Of
ficials within q short time. When these
are delivered the wheels Of govern
ment will begin to move regularly