Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-08-23
SUPERVISORS AND HARD ROADS.
IDes Moines Register and Leader.l

lDeS MOineS Register and LeaderJ
Whatever may be said in general
of the action of the county super
visors in their condemnation OF hard
surfaced roads, nobody can question
the shrewdness with which the reso.
luton of condemnation was drawn.
II the supervisors had said what
they really wanted to say, they would
have denounced the state highway
commission, the state engineer, the
county engineer, and the Iowa road
law. But what they did say was to
denounce concrete, brick and asphalt
roads for Iowa.
Nothing could be easier than to set
up a DOGGY man of concrete, brtck
and asphalt and knock him down be-
cause in only a few isolated instances
have any roads of this sort been at
tempted, and there is something
about the mere names of the ma
terials to suggest costly city pave.
ment rather than a practicable coun-
try road
The care with which gravel was
omitted from the list would be
enough, II there was nothing else. to
suggest a disposition to beg the ques-
ton with the taxpayers OF Inc state.
~
far the larger part of all hard road
surfacing everywhere is with gravel.
But gravel is we'll known to Iowa,
and the merits Of WELL graveled
road, and it would not do to connect
gravel with asphalt and brick.
AS a matter Of fact, California IS
laying an asphalt surfacing on the
roads at cents square yard, ana
these are the famous asphalt roads
of California We all read so much
about. At a glance everybody Will
see that cents square yard for
road surface that will wear is not
prohibitive price, IT, indeed, gravel can
be put on as cheaply.
Right at this time on the college
grounds at Ames there Is an asphan
coating on concrete that was put on
at cents square yard. 1t was put
on because the concrete was defec-
tive, and where the concrete mas not
crumbled under it it is wearing well.
And at this time the state highway
commission has four different bitumi-
nous road surfacings on trial on the
concrete roadway from Mason City 70
Clear Lake. the expectation being that
cheap durable and convenient ma
terial will soon be within the reach OF
all road makers who want something
better than dirt surface.
But the matter Of road materials
and hard surfaced roads has had little
to do with the action of the county
supervisors, whose real aim IL at the
highway commission and at the high
way law. It Is unfortunate In a way
that a passage OF road law In Iowa
in keeping with the road laws OF other
states should have been taken al 2
direct attack on the county supervisor
system, and should have been SO Dit
: terly resented by county supervisors
as class. But while It may proionS
the controversy, and delay the build
ing of roads good may come OF 1t, TOT
county management not only In the
! matter of roads and bridges but OF
everything else has been In need OF
overhauling
But little importance will attach to
the resolutions that have been adopted.
because their effect has been dig
! counted by the known hostility Of their
trainers to the new road program, and
! because the opposition to better roads
| is lloneycombed in the organization It
| self, as was shown by the vote Tor
! president r:hc had committed himself
definitely to good roads. It b unfof-
| tunate, Of course, that the men who
voted for President Dunlap should not
have voted against the resolution. But
tagging the resolutions as unanimously
adopted, will signify but little when
it is SO well known that the senti-
ment was not unanimous.
The Register can not conclude with
out speaking q good word for Presi-
dent Dunlap, whose intelligent adj
vocacy OF progressive policy for
Iowa should have been Endorsed unani-
mously. He IL. to be cordially COM
mended for his courage and his knowl-
edge OF the needs Of the state. He
will live to see the wisdom OF his
course appreciated by the taxpayers
OF every county, including the county
Of the newly elected reactionary presi-
dent