Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-03-02
TINES REPUBLICAN. MARsHAILToWN IOWA: MARCH 2 1919

y 4
The cost placed upon the community
for the building and maintaining OF
these roads Is not as great ~ was frst
supposed. The value OF land all thru
i the east does not average al high as
the land in Iowa. The productivity OF
! the soil does not begin TO compare with
ours. The same methods OF farming as
| are followed here will not begin to pro-
| duce as much revenue per acre. Yet
Notwithstanding all this the main roads
are being hard surfaced. There was
much opposition at first. The value
of farm property Immediately rises
| upon the completion of a hard road.
Yes If it is within the distance OF one
mile. OF course the property abutting
1 it benefited to the greatest extent.
Likewise the abutting property pays
a larger share than that mile distant.
| The writer was firmly convinced that
| for the purpose of hard roads we could
use gravel or crushed rock to good adj
vantage. Or in other words gravel
/ or Macadam road would answer all re-
| quirements. This opinion was badly
shattered. Roads built in this manner
will not stand the wear Of heavy traf-
| fic, unless there is a large appropria-
| ton for yearly maintenance. The
heavy traffic soon cuts this type OF
road so that in period of two or
three years 1T is series of chuck
holes"
It was noticeable that practically no
new roads were being constructed OF
| gravel or Macadam. There were two
| types universally being made. These
were the concrete, and brick set In
concrete. l, was also noticeable that
/ the width was either twelve or six
teen feet. The writer was told that
the maintenance was really OF small
I consequence for the first five to eight
| years Even after thai it was not
nearly equal to gravel, etc. Where the
concrete or brick road is being con-
| structed under the twenty-year- pay
| plan, it is not a burden TO the tax pay
ers. The money spent is more than re-
! turned in value received Connections
along the entire road are always es-
| tablished. Value of property Is in
creased from five 10 fifty dollars per
acre. This is one solution OF the in.
terurban. Regular service is given in
many places with trucks and coaches.
At a meeting of farmers short time
ago in this city the question OF hard
roads was discussed Some there were
VINO were opposed: the majority ex-
pressed themselves in favor. Some OF
the questions considered were as fol-
lows:
Il do not haul on an average of six
loads to town in year. do not see
where I would be benefited" This
was the expression of one. He lives on
one os TIE principal highways Of the
county. Probably this would be one OF
the first roads TO receive the attention
Of hard su-facing.
Il live mile off Of county road
and as the roads are now 1t would be
impossible for me 10 get over that
mile to the hard road. What good
would Il DC me-" This The expression
of another
Il do not see as any one is benefited
except those who live on the hard
roads" from one who lives mile away
from a main county road.
There are reasons for all of these.
The man who hauls only six loads to
town in year. may say that he feeds
practically all of his produce. 1t Is
safe to venture that were there road
TO town, that was smooth and hard,
the year around. he would haul more
There are many times during the year
that much OF the surplus farm pro-
ducts could be marketed to advantage
In fact a. the present time 1t Is a los
ing proposition to feed certain farm
products, at the prevailing prices.
The man who lives of the main road
one mile would only have one mile to
pull his team instead of five or SIX
The conditions are extraordinary now
There are many times during the
year, that If it were only mile 10
haul thru a heavy road. that particu-
lar load would GO Again II the hard
road is within one mile ii viii be only
question Of time until that mile is
surfaced
There is prevailing impression
among many that roads built a. an ex-
pense Of about IS, 900 per mile Will ben
eft only those living in town and those
tayin gau.omobiles While this is true
in a measure it is also true that every
one living In that community is bene-
fitted. This is exactly the same as any
other public Improvement. The entire
public is benefited. II those living in
or near the city receive a benent;
those living distance away will be In
finitely more benefited
The building of hard roads has been
successfully carried out in other states
The conditions were practically the
same as exist here today. The same
doubt was felt there as here. The same
as to expense was manifest. The same
talk of the tremendously cost OF
nlainiainance was expressed. All OF
these and more were met and over
come. The communities that now have
Inc, hard roads would aSt be w:thout
them for much higher price than was
paid. Merritt Greene. Jr.