Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-01
SPEAKERS URGE
ROAD BOND ISSUE
Milan Town Hall Scene of En-
thusiastic Meeting of
Highway Boosters.
COMPARE OTHER STATES
Indiana County Plans s1.Soo.ooo Ap-
propriation-TsS Burden VIII
Not Be Heavy.

Three years Will be required TO build
the I31 miles OF hard roads contem-
plated by the Rock Island County High
vay Improvement association. in the
event that the proposed 100000 bond
issue carries. declared Phil Mitchell,
president Of the association, at good
roads meeting held in Milan town hall
last evening He was of the opinion
that the 81 100000 would be called for
in three annual Neutrality-suspicious. l.
1915. 1916 and 1917. He laid emphasis
upon the fact that the proposed five
mill tax required by the bond issue
would be needed for only the FIRST few
years OF the 20 years that the bonds
are TO run.
Vermillion county. near the Indiana
boundary line has wheeled into line in
paving for hard roads by bond issue.
Mr.. Mitchell declared. The board of
supervisors OF that county. seeing the
advantage of hard roads of the Hoos-
Ter state. has decided TO submit TO
the voters at the coming general cleo
ton in November. the proposition of
a bond issue amounting to S1,5O0.OOO.
The campaign in that county has reach
"a LAt SlaEt NnElt A-AN- d z hAeAAA4--@-
The kind of road that is TO be built.
Brick. macadam and concrete are the
materials spoken of. and the width of
the road has been practically settled
upon as 1G feet.
LARGE Number Present
This is a magnificent audience and
the largest that | have ever addressed
in Milan" declared William McEniry
of Rock Island. by way of an introduc-
ton 10 his speech on Good Roads
Its size may be due. however, to the
number of politicians l see in the
room.
MILAN has not grown because of the
Indifference and the lack of energy of
the people surrounding this town.
There is only one swamp in Rock Is
land county. and that lies at the kitch-
en door of Milan. just as it did 90
years ago when nv father first came
10 this county. That swamp should
be drained. and it would prove to be the
garden spot Of the county.
"On the question OF roads. we seem
20 have been Indifferent in this county.
but here in Illinois there are reasons
why the state is so far behind in its
roads. The chief answer is that soil
that is best for raising corn is of
/ necessity the poorest for road build
] ing"
Tax Burden Not Heavy.
Answering the increased tax bug
bear, Mr.. McEniry pointed out that
the railroads would pay one-fourth as
much tax as the farmers of Black
Hawk township, in which Milan is To-
Gated. He also emphasized the point
that. under the Tice Law. the state
would assist each year with an amount
proportiOnate 20 the amount that the
county expends for good roads.
Dr. a. J. Miller of EdgingtOn describ-
ed what hard roads had done for Tip
pecanoe county. Indiana, his native
state. That county in his bOyhood, he
declared, had nothing but swamps and
ague. Drainage and good roads have
eliminated both.
The criticism is unjust that the To-
cal boosters are taking selfish inter
est in this enterprise" he declared.
Their interest comes from the pride
that they have in their county. With
the Rock Island county roads in their
present condition these men are proud
OF their county in every respect but
that Of roads. They are men who
have travelled throughout the country
and have been Inundated by the com
parison OF local roads with others they
have seen"
T. w. Woodcock, secretary OF the
association, presented a number of
stereopticon views illustrative OF the
change that has been wrought in other
states by hard road building
The Svea Male quartet Of Moline, in
several selections, and f. J. StackhOuse
Of Rock Island. in readings, provided
the entertainment features Of the pro
gram.