The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1915-02-17
some RESULTS. ! o.,
NEN'R0AD'LANy
Engineer II. 3. Fishel Gives Illus.
trated Talk on County Road
Work at Meeting Today.
! GREAT SAVING. IN ROAD WORK

4 Work at Meeting Today.
assAT 4! SAVING ~ ROAD WORK
NeWfAaethods II Road Work Save the
County thousands Of Dollars
During Every Year.
4, The Review is very fortunate in
deed to furnish its readers in this is.
sue with the address which was deliv-
cred today at the good roads meeting
by Mr.. Herbert Fishel, the county en-
gineer. His address was illustrated
with some excellent views showing
roads in Crawford county before and
after work had been done on them, to-
gether with some pictures of the fine
new concrete bridges that have been
erected. He reviewed the road work
done in this county since the new road
law. has been In, effect and told OF the
saving in road work that had been
made by new. methods. His address
follows:
Two years ago next April when our
state legislature, after weeks bf. heat
ed discussions and arguments, finally
passed what we commonly term the
New Road Law creating State High
way Commission with power and
authority to- do things, the people of
the state more or less in general arose
in arms, 80 to speak, in open revolt
against the very law they had passed.
They laughed at the idea OF having a
highway commission, scorned and rid
iculed the county engineers, and even
prophesied that, the very next time
the legislature convened, the whole
'aw would be abolished. In some parts
OF the state the commission was
laughed at, and, for short time, prac-
tically ignored. Why? Was it be-
cause they were the representatives
OF the people Of the state, chosen to
administer her road and bridge work
amounting to ten million dollars a
year. and to endeayor by businesslike
methods to get ten million dollars
worth Of work for the ten millions ex-
pended? On the other hand in many
counties they received luke warm
reception, while in some counties the
commission received cordial treat
ment, cooperation and support.
Such. in general, were the odds
against which the new law, the high
way M Mission and the more busi-
nesslL ANem OF handling public af-
fairs began operations less than two
years ago.
Under the old system, as you all
know, 1t was. Tor years past, great
conundrunn to ascertain who was real.
l., - ~ -Hr1ss oksspn pnts
maintenance and repair OF any piece OF
public highway in any county in the
state. 1t had not worked we'll to have
both the county and tire township at
tempting to control the same piece OF
road for the reason that there was no
definitely fixed responsibility, hence.
no effective means Of accomplishing
the best results. This the legislature
realized and this condition was one
of the very first they remedied. They
divided the roads into two separate
and distinct classes or systems and
fixed definitely the responsibility for
the construction, maintenance, repair
and dragging Of each system, the first
OF which is called the county road sys-
TEN containing not less than ten nor
more than fifteen per cent OF the roads
OF the county (outside OF corporations)
and connecting the principal market
places as well as connecting with sim
liar roads In adjoining counties, max
ing continuous chain OF county roads
over the entire state. The other sys-
TEN Is called the township road sys-
TEN which includes the remainder of
the public highways. All road work
on the first or county system IS now
done under tile supervision Of the
board of supervisors, and all the road
work on the second or township sys-
tenn is now done under the supervis-
ion OF the board Of township trustees.
There you now have, to begin with, a
definitely fixed responsibility for the
supervision of all road work On cer-
tain. designated roads. There is no
lack OF responsibility, no overlapping
OF authority.
What have been the results OF that
change What were the results in
1913? They varied greatly. They
varied. almost directly with the atti-
tude which the people in the different
counties maintained toward the new
system. On the county roads in coun-
ties opposed to the new law, little, ii
anything, was done. In fact, in some
counties the board of supervisors and
even some OF the engineers didn't
want to do anything; they just thought
they would await the repeal of the
law, thereby avoiding what they were
inclined to regard as much 'red tape"
about nothing. In other counties en-
deavoring to live up to the law, to
make the best of it, and to give it a
fair trial, some good work was done
ss,-1al3. As a whole little was done
the first summer, not only on account
OF reasons before mentioned, but also,
on account of the fact that the time
which lapsed between the passage OF
the law and the closing down of con-
struction work In the fallfwas too linn
tied to permit of more than mere
start.
On the township road systems in
general little was done in 1913. This,
also, was due largely to attitude and
to a certain extent to the erroneous
opinion that, before anything in the
nature Of maintenance or repair work
could be undertaken on the township
roads, the county engineer or some
engineer from the commission would
t. "A.