Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-03-04

co,opERATioN Assured
ar ~ ATTAINING REFORMS
MsjeriH - Counties Ready 70 Go
Akssd With improvements At High.
Wy. nailrsad cressinss-Fivs Hun.
prsd Crossings Of stats Designated
! .. Dangerous.
special to rlmss. Republican.

AsAVAsAO0S,
highway crossings Of the railroads as
tsafs Is possible ~ soon as practicable.
Co-opstakion between the railroads
!. and county boards under the. direction
of the. state railroad commission and
the state highway commission to at
tain this; result. That sthe program
decided up ct the important con-
ference held ct the state house.
The problem Of the safety Of the
grade crossing has been made increas-
ingly difficult BY reason Of the revolu-
tton in transportation due to the COM
ing Of the auto car a. the universal
mode Of travel. This, also was brought
out. i So that, aside from the great
forward step looking to permanent
highways already taken, there is real
need OF something being done to i'm
prove grade crossing conditions.
. Many Counties Ready.
"a; At least sixty or seventy Of the
counties Of the state are prepared to
90 right ahead promptly in making i'm
prOvSments of their county road sys-
tens which call for some like action
on the part Of the railroads as to their
part in making the crossings safe. A
vast amount Of work will be done this
year. Also the railroads are showing
proper disposition to Join in doing
what - right. They indicated that
they, would not want to 90 any faster
than the county boards in setting
things In order but will not be behind.
There are in Iowa 100000 miles Of
highways. The county systems ap-
proved for every county and now q
settled matter include about $4,000
miles Of hishway. There are probably
500 CROSSINGS In the state designated
a. daIGefous. not all on the county
systemA however. and not all difficult
Of remedy. Reports from fifty three
counties to the highway commission
showed 373 dangerous crossings, of
which fifty were SO because of trains
being hid from view, thirty-one be-
cause OF steep grades at approach,
twenty-six because of . bad turn in
the road, and the rest for narrow ap-
proaches and other reasons.
Reports received as to actual acct
dents at crossings in Iowa last year
showed from. one to nve deaths in q
county where reported. Some of those
reported rather boasted Of not having
any. larger number Of fatalities.
The conference held here was the
outcome Of correspondence between
Mr.. Beard. Of the commission, and
Mr., Bfomley.~ Of the Illinois Central
railroad. It seems that the commis-
sion has rather arbitrarily desixnated
the crossings shall be planked twenty
four. feet and the railroad company
wants to merely make the width to
correspond with the width Of road
way at approach. The conference was
attended by q number OF the engi-
neers and representatives Of the lead
ing Iowa railroads. ss.
Meeting Satisfactory. go
The outcome Of the meeting was de-
clared to be quite satisfactory. what
Is wanted. a. explained by the high
way commission, Is hearty 4 CO. oper-
alton between all the persons Inter-
listed In the problem of planning for
Dertnanent roads in Iowa and especial
~ in making all these grade crossings
as size az they can be made, SO that
Whatever 10 necessary of temporary
work can be done at once and perma-
Iient improvements will be made rap
IDLY. The railroad engineers will do
their share, and as In great majority
of the counties of the state the local
autAnrtties are ready to do their share
81. the. work, 1t seems certain there will
be no great delay on this account.
The highway commission displayed
some, Of the completed maps of the
perInanent highway system and these
by those who attended the conference.