Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-02-22
A VITAL QUESTION.

The Register and Leader would like
to ask of every member of the present
legislature what, in his opinion moved
Minnesota four years ago to change
the constitution-and in Minnesota it
requires a majority of the total vote
of the state TO ratify an amendment
to the constitution-tO enable the legls-
lature to provide a big state fund to
encourage the building OF permanent
hard surfaced roads?
In doing this Minnesota was follow
ing the exam.Ae of Wisconsin, which
has been engaged in building per-
manent roads for many years. with
state aid, and Wisconsin was follow
ing the example of the states further
east and all of them were following
the example of New England and New
York. where the Importance Of good
roads was first appreciated.
Why have these states. and SO
many other states east and west all
of them following essentially the same
plan. set about getting permanent
roads, and why after years OF eN-
pericnce, much of it costly experience,
have none of these states abandoned
the undertaking. but are all of them
spending more money than they We're
before, and working on much larger
scale?
Why did Illinois, at the last ses-
sion Of the legislature, after expert
menting with roads in various ways
also fall into line with the Minnesota
plan, and providing state aid, set about
state road making?
Why have California and the coast
states generally, going beyond the
Minnesota plan. begun SO largely the
construction Of state roads in the cost
of which the local community and the
local property owner are not involved?
These are questions that must GER
tainly interest the Iowa legislator as
he faces the fact that Iowa has not
yet begun what other states have
been engaged upon for so many years,
and that especially when Iowa is forced
into comparison with such neighbors
as Minnesota, and Wisconsin and ILL
nois, and still more especially when OF
all the states OF the middle west Iowa
alone enjoys the unenviable distinc-
ton Of a diminishing population.
Are Minnesota and Illinois and Wis
consin making mistake? Are they
wasting the peoples money? Will they
soon see the folly of their course. and
come back to Iowa and commend Iowa
for superior wisdom and foresight?
Or is Iowa making the mistake, is
Iowa playing laggard in the most i'm
portant enterprise of the times, is
Iowa foolishly giving every competitor
several laps in the race for state as
tendency?
These are questions that can GER
tainly be answered one way or the
other, and they are questions that
ought to be answered one way or the
other when every state in the union
is moving but Iowa.
Already the period of initiative is
about over for the session. Is moth
ing to come of our law making but a
few tinkering amendments to our dirt
road laws amendments well enough
in their way. but getting nowhere
on the main proposition? Is Iowa
to let another two years go by before
making a beginning?
Two years ago it was urged that we
should make a start with preliminary
work, that the state should be graded
and bridged and culverted and got
ready for permanent roads. The pres
| ent road law was enacted in that spirit
But how long will our grades re-
main where they have been put II
nothing is to be done? We shall
| merely repeat the experience. OF the
last forty years. forty years devoted
to piling dirt up in the middle OF the
road only to see it washed down again
And even If the dirt grades would re-
main in their places they do not make
| roads, and can never be made to make
roads.
Iowa is flying in the face Of the uni.
form experience Of the world. and un'
! less such a course can be justified II
the most complete way, by the mos
conclusive showing OF scientific au-
thority, Iowa is throwing away one O.
the commanding opportunities.
/ 1t is not too late for every legis
llator to ask himself why Minnesota. D!
a majority vote Of the taxpayers o
the state, amended the constitution Z
,enable the legislature to put the stat
| squarely behind the building OF per
manent roads with state money
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