Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-08-26
Is now paying for roads it would seem
to be the part OF economy and efficiency
to have them, and have them at once.
THE PRETTY SIDE OF 1T.
Nevada Representative

lNeV3OA Nepte0eutaIIVeJ
Apparently the real nub Of the issue
Is just where 1t was in the last general
assembly and where y will be so long
ALL and that is over the handling of
public funds for public uses. The state
of Iowa is spending approximately
$10.000.000 year for roads, and the
officials who handle the money may be
classified roughly into two classes,
those who want to handle their part
OF the funds without anyone knowing
just how they handle II, and those who
are willing to have their way and pur-
poses in handling subject to oversight
and approval by the state highway
commission. We think that there is q
very large part of the county super
visors who are not worried at all about
the commissions oversight and ap-
prevail; but there are some who keep
advertising that they are worried. Such
DIRECTORS will get used to the new reg
line in time, however, and 1t may be
that the highway commission will learn
greater wisdom as to its part of the
business as it goes along.
NEEDED-A PAVING PROVISION.
WEBSTER City Freeman -Tribune.1
bill passed the Iowa house of rep
resentdtives last winter providing that
city councils could go ahead and do
paving when bids for the work on the
part OF contractors were not salts
factory. Paving and other contractors
from all over the state were there to
lohhr against the bill and they sue
ceeded in defeating II in the senate.
Michigan has had such law for years
and the prices at which Michigan ci-
ties get paving is a revelation. Much
concrete has been put down there at
around 81 per yard and other kinds Of
paving at the same low comparative
prices. Contractors often pay little
attention to the work themselves. They
employ competent overseers and let
them go ahead with the Job. City
councils could do likewise. Moreover,
1t would not be necessary for the
council to often turn down bids, be-
cause the knowledge of the fact that
the council could go ahead and do the
work would have a most salutary
effect upon bidders It would be
club in the hands of the people to
protect their own interests. providing,
of course. that the council represented
the people, as It should instead of the
contractors. as 1t sometimes does.
ANOTHER WRECKED RAILROAD.
GSioux City Tribune.]
With the Missouri Pacific added to
the long list of western roads in the
hands of receiver. the cry again goes
up that the main difficulty is too low
freight rates. too little income
The 1914 report shows the Missouri
Pacific gross earnings were ss.2os per
mile. l: also shows the bonded in
debtedness Of the road was $4,000 per
mile. and that the interest on this in
debtedness ate up a little over 80 per
cent OF the net earnings Of the road.
Could any business avoid receivership
with such conditions?
The Indebtedness was the result OF
the wasteful mismanagement Of the
Gould regime, the result Of high
financing. Low freight rates or west
ern state railroad legislation had less
TO do with It. To ask for rates high
enough to meet consequences OF such
and still make the
road profitable were impossible No
traffic could stand charge like that.
The trouble with the Missouri Pa
cif1c, like the trouble with the Rock
Island and the Frisco is due eltogeth-
er to the men who sat around the ia
BILE of the board OF directors Of these
roads for years. The only blame rest
ing upon the public is that it didn't
begin its regulation several years
sooner.