Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-02-12
NORRIS TELLS cRlNNELL CLUB
THAT IT is POSSIBLE WITH.
OUT INCREASED TAX.
THIRTY YEAR BONDS
WOULD CONSERVE TAXES
Powshisk's County Road and Bridge
Taxes Now High Enough to Pave
Sixty Miles End Gravel Al the Rest
Of County Road System and Replace
Every Bridge With Concrete or Tile
Special to Times-Republican.

special to T1meS-Repuol1can.
Grinnell. Feb. 12.-Mr. D. w. Norris.
Of the Marshalltown Times Republican.
made a startling assertion to the Fort
nightly Club Of Grinneu in an address
delivered Wednesday evening. He said
that with q thirty-year bond issue he
could. within the next five years. re-
place every wooden bridge in Pow
eshlek county with permanent con-
crete masonry or tile; that he could
pave sixty miles of the present county
road system with a narrow strip Of
concrete pavement with gravel on each
side and that he could surface the re-
naming eighty-six miles Of the coun-
ty road system with gravel and that
the entire debt for this construction
could be paid off within the thirty
years. principal and interest, and the
roads maintained in disable condition
road and bridge taxes already levied
for this year.
Mr.. Norris said that, bridges of ma
sorry in Europe and our-eastern states
had lasted from zoe to 1000 years and
the cost OF such "a bridge should be
distributed over a Ion, period OF time.
He said that Poweshiek county was
now raising $4,000 per sannhn. for its
county bridges and was wasting half
of it on temporary repairs. He would
save this and invest 1t In paved
roads. s7.~
Actual Costs Shown.
He said that paved road with eight
feet Of concrete In the center and six
feet OF gravel on each side had been
built at W'inona. MINI, for. 200 per
mile on contract and that the cost Of
a $500 road on a thirty-year bond
issue would be s43s per annum for
sinking fund, interest and mainte-
nance.
Graveled roads, he said, were cost
ing in Michigan. Wisconsin and Min
nesota s., 200 per mile where the gravel
was shipped by freight and that the
annual cost Of suaalsa road on a thirty
years bond issue. kept renewed during
the whole period. would be 1910 per
mile for sinking fusd' Interest and
EMonsy Now Wasted.
He said that at these prices the pres
ent auto license money. county road
taxes and the half OF the bridge taxes
which are now wasted would pave and
gravel every mile OF the 146 miles of
county roads without~increasins ,coun-
ty taxes one cent? but he rAcomm ended
reducing general taxes one-half and
assessing half OF the annual cost Of
paved and graveled roads to the near
by lands most benefited within a mile
and a half of the road improved under
the Utah zone plan. Hhich would cost
a $4,000 farm abutting a paved road
s27 per annum special paving tax and
the next two farms back 5000 and
$1,000 per annum for a quarter sec
ton Of land. For graveled road
quarter section farms would pay 1898,
s1162 and 1915 per 3annum special
'a Mr.. S SeS ssea said taat the present
highway law was all right so far as
raising taxes and doing the engineer
ing was concerned but that it needed
amendments providing for bond issues
by vote Of the taxpayers in order to
distribute the cost over the period in
which the Improvements are to be used
and also the special assessment prin-
ing law to place part pfhthe cost where
it belongs upon the property which re-
ceives the most benefit He said that
two-t thirds of the states now build per-
manent roads with bond issues and