The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-12-23
STATE ROAD COMMISSION.
Explains Its Plan for Financing Per-
manent Roads.

The better roads commission APP
pointed by Governor Clarke has pre-
pared a statement explaining the
bond plan of building roads. which
was approved at the last meeting held
in Des Moines.
The report is signed by d. w. Nor
ris, J.. M. Brockway, j. G. Davis. E.
F, Rose, e. r. Meredith and G. e..
Cameron.
In part the statement follows"
Governor Clarke's better roads
commissioner has considered care
fully the methods of financing i'm
proved roads throughout the United
States and has decided to recommend
the issuance of county bonds VIXEN
ever township, special district O"
county revenues are to be anticipat-
ed for a period of years so rs to build
q road that will not wash away at
every rain.
"The commission found that thir-
teen states were borrowing money
for road construction on state credit
but that II per cent of all the coun-
ties in all the states were borrowing
on county credit and that seemed the
more economical plan that could be
adopted in Iowa without the delay of
a general state election.
IF it should be approved by the
legislature a township board could
anticipate it's township revenues for
five or ten years for the purpose OF
crawling and grading township
road by requesting its county board
to sell county bonds and receive
pledge of township moneys to repay
the bonds; or a county board by
referendum vote of the people of any
special district could borrow money
for a period of years in anticipation
of road revenues to be raised within
the district for any kind of road
which the voters should determine.
GIN short by paying upon the in
stallment plan instead OF building
that way the people of any locality
could get their permanent roads
sooner and enjoy them longer.
''In all probabilities counties will
be able to borrow money at AZ per
cent interest. The bonds very large
ly will find their market in the east.
New money will be brought to Iowa
and will be invested in
Iowa in it's highways. The taxpayer
will simply keep on paying the same
tax that he pays now but ne Will
have the improved road.
1T is estimated that the present
rate of taxation for county roads, ii
bonded would be sufficient to gravel
two-thirds of the entire county road
system, while the automobile money
if bonded would actually pave one
third of the county road system in
the vicinity of large towns where
traffic becomes congested to such an
extent as to travel a graveled road.
"This is not improbable for both
Ohio and Indiana are spending less
tax money per annum upon their
roads and bridges than is Iowa and
vet each state has already improved
with gravel or pavements twice as
many miles of road as are contained
in the entire country road system OF
Iowa.
"Graveled roads can be built for
$500 per mile where bank gravel is
nearby, up to $4,000 per mile where
gravel must be shipped by rail and
hauled from the railroad.
1T should be settled in advance
that hard surface road never neces-
sarily means paved road and in fact
seldom ever does except when the
people who are to pay for it desire
that their local conditions make such
a road the most economical in the
long run.
"The purpose of any bonding law
is to permit the voters of township
or local district to spend their own
money as they please but to invest for
the future so as to obtain the most
lasting value for the money they
spend. At the present time we have
law authorizing the people to vote
upon bonds for school houses. They
may vote bonds to build court houses,
and they may vote to establish or
disestablish county high school;
they may vote to remove county
seat and otherwise legislate for them
selves on many questions. These
privileges are never abused. The
people of Iowa can be trusted, as
least with their own money"