Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-09-08

you must DO MS part in carrying the
message on
George Richmond. chairman of the
county board. presided over the after
noon meeting. while Phil Mitchell.
president OF the County Highway I'm
provement association. was toastmas-
/ ter in the evening. At the latter SEES
sion the Svea quartet gave several Sc
lections. Rev. 4. q. Stewart of Edg-
ington pronounced the Invocation.
May Build This Fall.
Hope OF being able to complete ar
engagements in time TO let contract
for two sections OF state aid road I'm
this county for which the money Is
available this year was expressed by
Mr.. McArdle. lie said that specifca-
tions for the proposed section in Yuma
township had not been gotten out be
cause the engineers had been too
busy to attend TO it. The supervis-
ors would pass the necessary resoIu-
ton preliminary TO action by the state
commission he said he would agree
TO see that the specifications for the
Yuma road were prepared at once and
the matter pushed through as rapidly
as possible This means that the SIS
GOO furnished by the state and county
VIII be divided and used in two places.
the other one being at Taylor Ridge.
Mr. Wilson. who is the only men,
Der of the commission who is a farm
er. warned the supervisors that in case
the money now offered Is not accepted
at once it will be given to other coun-
ties 1T is the heighth of foolish
ness. said he, for you to refuse this
money which you have helped to raise.
Hard roads are bound to come here as
in other states and the sooner you be-
gin the better of you will be. II you
do not make a start now other coun-
ties will get ahead of you and will be
securing the cash you pay into the
state treasury year after year"
Roads Public Utility.
Mr.. Cash said the roads are the on
" public utility owned entirely by the
people and they have been neglected
till they are a hundred years behind
other public utilities. Illinois pays
more than any other state save two
for road work and stands 23d in the
proportion of highways permanently
improved. This is conclusive evidence
that the work has been done haphaz-
ardly and that there has been shock
ing waste.
The last legislature realized this
and endeavored TO provide a law I'M
der which the work could be systema-
tized- The Tice act provides for a
partnership between local and state
authorities giving local control and
state general direction to the end OF
securing uniformity in routing. grad
ing. drainage and surfacing.
The $1,000 miles OF roads which
have been designated for state aid of
which 131 miles are in Rock Island
county. carry approximately go per
cent OF the total traffic on the states
highways. These roads will be within
four and one-half miles of every point
in the state and the total cost assessed
against the land will amount TO but
$3.50 per acre in all. or cents per
acre distributed over 20 years. The
land viii pay but 40 per cent of the
cost. which will total S1SO,OOO.OOO In
Rock Island county the country viii
pay but p per cent. owing TO the pro-
portionately larger city values.
State Behind Others.
Illinois has less than 10 per cent of
its roads made of stone while all the
states around it have much more. In
diana having 50 per cent Of improved
highways and being actively engaged
in building more. The movement is
on in Illinois. One township alone in
Will county is now building 16 miles
Of macadem. In Illinois the opposi-
ton all comes from the farmers. The
cities, having paved their streets,
know what highway Improvement
means. They are ready for it. even
if they are TO be taxed to help pay
for the work done outside their linn
its.
For the next two year period the
sum realized for automobile tax will
be double that for the two years past,
amounting to S1,7OO.OOO. The COVER
nor intends to ask the legislature TO !
supplement this with an appropriation
OF $500. 900. which Will give s2,50O,OOO
for the two year period With an
equal sum from the counties there
will be sufficient cash TO really make
some headway in the work.
Mr.. Wilson spoke largely from the I
standpoint of the farmer He told of
his own experience in paying u cents /
per acre per year as q tax on his land I
in Ogle country for the building of
macadam roads, a bond issue being
voted by the township. This was /
three times as much as the proposed /
state hard roads. permanent ones, too, ]
Will cost, and yet if anyone VIII get /
per cent OF the property owners Of his /
township TO declare they regret the
expenditure the speaker agreed TO .
quit talking good roads. He expressed /
the opinion that in no other way could I
money be spent with so much benefit 1
10 the entire people as for road i'm I
proyement and insisted that economy 4
demanded the Immediate beginning of .
the work on the state aid roads.
Mr. Bradt explained the Tice laws .
application. and told Of the extent To .
which us provisions had been EN-