Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-03-14
A NAM TRAVELLED PLATFORM.

4 MAIN TRAVELLED PLATFORM.
After sood many years of found
ering around amid many IDEAS and
very little information the good roads
| boosters OF Iowa have finally come to-
gether on a definite platform Of legis-
lation which is practicable and sound
and is based upon the most success
tul experience in other states.
| The Iowa automobile association at
Des Moines this week resolved to sup
/ port the present road law as being
efficient for the present administration
Of dirt roads. Il then resolved in favor
of legislation tina, will give the voters
| in any county the right to issue long
time county bonds for permanent road
| improvements and that will give the
owners OF property the right TO form
districts where they want to for assess
ing their own property for reason
able portion Of the cost TO aver the
special benefit TO their property and
the association resolved in favor OF
! using the auto license money as a state
aid fund to promote permanent road
building
All OF these ideas are working sue
cesstully in many other states, in fact
TWO thirds OF the states in the union
now issue bonds for road building,
some issue state bonds, some county
bonds and some township bonds. The
bond issue Is the only plan whereby the
h-sr cost Of hard surfaced road can
be distributed equisably over the tax
payers Of the period in which the i'm
prove-nent will be used. Under the
bond issue We could pave and grave!
our main Travelled roads in Iowa with
! out increasing the present road taxes.
The assessing Of small part OF the
| cos, to the property most benefited 10
| also necessary in order TO distribute
the tax burden equitably. II man
owns property on paved road he Will
F., use the road more than the man IN
some o.her part Of the county and his
property will be benefited more. Like
wise with the owner Of property ly-
ing within a mile Of gravel road as
compared to property on the other
! side Of the county many miles away.
Also is the assessment Of property for
the special benefit il receives from the
improvement absolutely necessary in
order To get voters to favor bond is
sue Otherwise the road improvement
would have to be laid out to touch the
property Of majority OF she voters
which would be proh;bitive and an
economic waste.
| The main travelled roads are scarce
| " more than 10 per cent OF the mileage
! in any county and yet by actual count
over period Of years in Massachusetts
and Illinois it has been found that they
carry 50 per cent Of all the travel Just
as the main line OF a railroad carries
! the concentrated traffic OF ali its
branches. These roads ought to De i'm
proved first and the cost assessed
eou;tably as between the property most
tons Of taxpayers who are to enjoy
the use Of the improvement.
And then the state should have a
fund to use to promote permanent road
construction. Michigan bonuses her
roads Wisconsin and Illinois appro-
pritate sums running into millions at
each session of the legislature and the
.ax ,Aviee are made to cover the APP
propriations Minnesota levies 1 mill
state and road tax and pays half Of
permanent construction. The national
government is about to offer nearly
million per annum to Iowa for roads
on condition that At least ha!f OF the
cost Of any national aided road be paid
out Of other funds. Let the state add
the auto money to this fund and aid
the counties to build paved roads such
as the auto owners want. The hunters
insist upon their gun license money
being spent for game preserves and the
auto owner has the same right to in
sisr that auto money be spent only for
hard surfacing Of roads.
Were this to be done Iowa would
receive an immense amount Of paved
and graveled roads during the next
five years without increased taxation.
The state and national aid would pro-
mote the work with valuable prize
money. The first cost would come from
; the capitalists Of the east who are
glad to get per cent county bonds.
We would build the roads with other
: peoples money and the tax burden
would be shared by the owners OF
property actually benefited, by the
county at large and by the state in
small easy payments extending over
: long period Of time during which
period the roads would be earning
their hire by the comforts Of living and
the saving IN COS. Of hauling which
: they produce.
Puxxjed.
Rix-Can you lend me = Tor
: mouth, &C hcre Dix-What the deuce
does month old boy want with ST.
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