Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-02-28
A ROAD BUILDING CHANGE.

A vote or Z8Z 10 az Ill ZIG 49,
Washington for a bill approprlatlng
$25,O0O,OOO annually for good roau rs
promises that some kind OF piil
carrying federal aid for good roaos
will become law at this session. IL
Is estimated that In this bill approx
mately 100000 will be apportioned 10
Iowa but will Iowa be able to meet the
conditions? A.,
The state is the smallest unit the
federal government is willing to deal
with In spending road money and Two
alternatives are offered to the states IN
this bill either of which the governor
NAV elect to accept BY the first plan
all post roads are divided into three
classes according to the character OF
their construction and the federal aid
will be paid to the state in bonuses
ranging from SIS to $50 per mile put
the state must pay an equal sum. TINS
method would merely frftter the
money away without results ana
would simply bury little more coin
in Iowa mud.
The other plan provides that the
governor and the secretary OF agr1cul-
ture Jointly may designate certain
post roads upon which the federal
money is to be spent when an equai
amount of state money is also IN
vested. ......
Here is the nucleus for a tremend.
Gus impetus to be given to permanent
hard surfaced construction in Iowa
Int tho state itself must needs nave
a state aid fund equal IN amount 70
its quota of the national funo. Anu
1t so happens in this state that the
auto license money now about equals
100000 and will soon go way oeyono
million per annum.
Minnesota is at work constructing
paved and graveled roads with a
state aid fund of the same size from
which the state pays half, the county
one-fourth and nearby lands one
fourth. The county Issues bonds to
anticipate state, county and special
property levies for ten years.
wisconsin is enjoying marvellous &C.
tiyity in building gravel. macadam ana
naved roads from state aid onered 10
ita counties in proportion OF one OF
state money. to two Of county money:
The first year Wisconsin appropriated
s35O 900 and the counties asked for
s450000. Then the Legislature appro-
nriated SS78,OOO, and the counties
asked for $S3O,O00, and for this year
the legislature has provided $1,2oo,ooo
state aid.
illinois is at work voting township
road bonds and using state aid from
Legislative appropriation OF $2,ooo'ooo
per annum.
Let Iowa now elect to accept the
federal aid of 100000 per annum and
place an equal amount of auto license
money beside 1t. Local taxes would
not be increased one cent thereby. Let
the governor upon the advice OF the
state highway commission of1er to the
counties to pay one-third OF the cost
of permanent hard surfaced construc-
tion. Then let the legislature OF iowa
permit the counties to issue long time
bonds for long time roads and bridges
and to assess a special benefit OF one
third the cost to nearby property with
in a zone of mile and half from
main travelled road.
Under such plan Iowa could go
to having and graveling her main
travelled country roads without raising
anv more road and bridge taxes than
she now levies; in fact the entire coun-
ty road systems of the state could be
nayed and graveled and paid for by
the present generation OF business
men without increasing taxation.
Do we want Uncle Sans $8OO,O0O
or do we not Times
Republican. rnt s24