Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-04-03

" nat II NOul0 nave " pIOuuSc AZ oioSI
to be a paying investment at 5000 per
acre at . per cent would make $40 per
acre or $1,000. A man to properly
farm $50 acres would be worth at least
$50 per month or $500 per year: repair
bills on fences, buildings and insur-
ance 5000 per year: taxes 500 per
year. This would figure out this way:
Interest on the land investment. 81, 500
Interest on money in livestock. - 100
Paid for labor 500
Repair bills and insurance $3.50. zoo
Other taxes 100
Road taxes on bonds and inter-
est .........-...... ~
$4,000
How many farms with 100 acres can
show an annual income of $3.50?
We believe in progress and good
roads but doubt very much If the far
mer with 100 acres will tax himself
$500 per year for the luxury of paved
road even if he would, there would still
be 60 per cent to be raised by other
taxes on said road and part of these
taxes would come back on him.
I believe IL the state highway COM
mission and county engineer. In fact
think that no township should be al
lowed to do any grading without first
getting specifications from the county
engineer SpeCitica tons to contain the
following. width Of road and slope from
center TO shoulder. depth of ditch and
degree of slope to shoulder. raise OF
grade in part of road to be built. If
one engineer can not do the work hire
one more. 4 good boss is worth all
he costs. The present system of tear
ing up fifteen or twenty miles OF road
with a tractor should be stopped. 1t Is
wasting the tax payers money. Build
a few miles Of good earth roads and
they will last for a good many years.
ALEX. LOUKS.
Laurel Iowa
Mr. Louks is headed in the right di-
rection on the road question for ne be-
lieves in business efficiency and cor
rect engineering in road work as we'll
as in railroad work. All he needs to do
now is to see with his own eyes how
roads in almost all other states c:'tside
of Iowa and he will be about two laps
ahead Of the editor as hard surfaced
road booster
For insta nee, Mr.. Louks has his fig
ures as to the cost of paved country
roads about ten times higher than they
are in actual experience. Paved coun
try roads in Iowa. Minnesota, Illinois
or Michigan have been built for $4,000
TO $4,000 per mile, according to their
width. The Minnesota road, with a
concrete center eight feet wide and
six feet of rock or gravel on each side
Of that costs $500 Per mile to build.
1t will last thirty years or longer and
should be bonded for that long a per-
iod. If it were possible to build roads
that way in Iowa. the present county
road tax would pay half OF the fixed
annual charge for principal, interest
and maintenance for paving every mile
OF the present county road system. The
other half pro rated equitably would
cost a quarter section of land abuttins
the paved road $50 per annum, the next
quarter section would pay So per an
mum and the third quarter section or
the farm across the road on the Eext
section line would pay $40 per annum
paving tax for the special benefit IL
would receive.
over 500 miles Of county roads have
been paved fifteen fee wide IN Los
Angeles county, California, on the for
ty year bond plan without any special
and yet the total county road tax out
there is only four mills, just what Mr..
Louks pays for his township road tax.
That same levy of four mills, if levied
as a county road tax would pay
the full cost Of paving every county
| road in Marshall county on the forty
year California or Texas plan.
Mr.. Louks should tear up his theor-
etical figures, investigate the cost OF
hard surfaced roads elsewhere and then
ask himself whether ne wants to re-
main up to his neck in mud half of
the year or whether he wants 10 put
thirty years road tax on to his road at
| once and have pavement just as good
| as any street in town.
| On this road question the editors are
| in possession of the facts and are
| practical while many farmers and 9TH
ers who are opjecting and fearful oi
hard surfaced roads are theorizing
The state engineer of Ohio says that al
the present rate Of construction every
mile Of main Travelled road in that state
4 will be hard surfaced within the mex
| ten years. Ohio spends about the same
amount Of money on her roads each
year as does Iowa but she spends Il
for roads that are worth while. There
Unjust be something in it.
Africa IS IN third place IN the amour,
of cotton goods consumed. In some
4 sections OF Africa So per cent OF the
uHbieached cotton trade Is with thu