Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-04-06
Looker-On In Iona
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Parkersburg, April Elf the mem
bers of the legislature will put their
ears on the ground" il they will get
close to their constituents, they will
find out that tho majority Of voters
favor good roads. This statement in
cludes the farmers. They will find out
the present opposition as shown in the
house is not against q state highway
commission SO much as against the
working of the present law. They will
be told If a culvert washes out, the
users of the roads do not want to wait
month before it Is fixed. as has hap
pe1ed In many counties in Iowa
There's too much red tape and not
enough chance to delegate power for
emergencies. They will also learn that
the present system Of county engineer
work is too expensive and results in
more or less graft. Remove these two
principal objections to the present laws
concerning the highway commission,
and thus amended the law will meet
with general approval This is not
saying but what other defects exist. It
is saying the intelligent voters are
ready now to do away with the old
system of road making and to accept
some better plan.
1t seems strange none of our laws
can be enforced without some COM
mission, some centralized place Of
power At this writing there are in
Iowa $4,000 miles of road that need the
road drag Immediately. They have
dried off on top and have ruts six to
ten inches deep where the wheels cut
in to the frost. Probably before this is
in print we shall have April showers
or big steady rains. These ruts will fill
with water and for another mud spell.
Now, every farmer and every township
officially knows all this. Knows of the
road dragging law and penalties. but
there is no general road dragging. In
Williams the other day m automobile
man said to crowd Of travelling men,
there's only one road been dragged
around here, but can take you to
Alden over that road. The other roads
are toe rough for car" Yet with such
evidence as this many garage owners
damn the highway commission.
And with all this criticism Of things
and men, who are trying to do things,
It's pleasure to find one reform that
seems to suit the majority. Put it down
for q fact, the majority Of the voters
Of Iowa Falls. think and say. a BUSH
ness manager for a city the size OF
Iowa Falls is a good thing. This evil
dence comes not only from city Off
Gals. but from the people and also
from heavy tax payers. The system
and its workings is almost universally
approved. 1t is true there is some
criticism concerning what has been
done and what is proposed to do, but
the plan. the way Of doing things, suits
all but a few. So well II the business
manager Of city, plan liked more
! than one voted thinks, and said 1T
would be mighty good thing to have
q business manager for Hardin county
Cheer up, the cost Of high living and
the high cost OF living. has been
checked in its upward tendency. A
travelling man tells Of buying porl
chops in q Des Moines market at 11A
cents a pound. Another says in Mar
shalltown he bought n rib roast o.
beef for IL cents a pOund.s In b0tt
cases they had to go after Il ana pay
cash. No credit and no delivering
Good potatoes nearly every where =