Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-09-02
NOTABLE !. PROGRESS ! I.
l N. s|g BUILDING
Shown BY 6tOeses ted BY Iowa
Supervisors q C zion in
i SPEAKS WELL FOR
NEW ROAX
NJ y ---- 80
State Highway OOmmissi0n Especial
ly Commended for the Work
It is Doing Throughout
State.

The Iowa supervisors at the Cedar
Rapids convention last week told
an amazing story of road building
progress under the new law. For
one entire day on the roll call of the
ninety-nine Iowa counties, super
visor after supervisor took the floor
and told of the work his county was
doing. AS county after county pill
ed up its detailed story Of bridges
and culverts built and the total grew
from hundreds to thousands. with
hills to cut down. valleys filled and
dangerous turns and crossings wiped
out, hundreds of miles Of road build
iHgs business men expressed their
establishment Members Of the high
way commission and engineers who
have travelled over much of the
state and who realized better than
any one else, the extent of the road
building work in Iowa this year,
were amazed as the story unfolded.
They had seen it all from time to
time, q little here and little there,
but here was story of work ac-
tuaIly done which took an entire
day and a hundred men, merely
skimming the larger details. to tell
it. Not a man who participated in
that days session will ever forget
it. Whether opposition to the new
road measure. If any, as the COM
yention opened, disappeared entire
ly as the story of the splendid
work being done under the new law
developed. The abolishment of the
resolution Of necessity was the only
feature where change was suggest
ed. Every other suggestion was for
additions to the authority of the
supervisors so that land might be
condemned for widening. straight
ening and making safe the roadway
and for power to cut trees, brush
and weeds that interfere with drain
age, safety and maintenance Of the
highways. The supervisors unant-
mously approved the division Of
roads and road work into the county
and township system, the uniform
standards Of road and bridges con-
struction and commended the high
way commission for the work it is
doing.
Resolutions Adopted.
The resolutions adopted were as
follows:
THAT we approve the general
working features of the new road
law particularly those providing for
q uniform system of highways and
for uniform standard Of bridges and
road construction and we commend
the state highway commission for
the work it is doing and the assis-
tance it is giving.
"That the body condemn the law
requiring the resolution Of necessity
as needless expenditure Of public
funds and request next legislature OF
Iowa to promptly repeal the same.
THAT the Board Of Supervisors be
given the simple, speedy and ade-
Quate method for condemning pri-
vate land work necessary for the
Strengthening. and widening over and
abovg statuary width and cutting
on dangerous corners Of all high
ways.
'.Tbat where the property owners
abutt upon the county and township
road system fail or neglect to cut
the weeds, brush and timber as re-
quired by law, the board Of super
visors and township trustees be giv-
en- the authority to cut same after
giving ten days notice in writing to
the owners and assess the cost OF
same to said abutting property own
ers.
"That the board of supervisors
be authorized to cause the destruc-
ton of trees upon private property
when said trees are damaging drain
tile or injuring drain bitches and to
assess the cost of removing same to
the property owner upon whose
property said trees are growing.
THAT the board Of supervisors be
given authority to establish a drain
age district where needed to drain
the county road system and to In
clude such district all private prop
CONTINUED on last pase.)