Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-09-24
a TRADE Against Paved Roads.

An address delivered by j. s. Win
slow at farmers creamery picnic, In
Bows. and published here by request:
Ladies and Gentlemen:-I assure
you that appreciate the pleasure OF
having the privilege Of making q few
remarks here today on the question
that the farmers of Iowa are. or ought
to be, deeply interested in-the cues
ton of paving the public highways. II
is difficult to discuss this question In
the spirit of friendship toward those
who are trying to place tax upon the
farmers of Iowa for the purpose OF
building paved roads for the benefit
Of special interest. You who have
been reading the daily papers Of Iowa,
and especially the Marshalltown Times
and the Register and Leader have be-
come familiar with the words Per
manent Roads," That phrase II used
to impress upon the minds Of the
farmers of Iowa that IL they submit to
the tax to build paved roads, that the
upkeep Of those roads will be 90 light
we will not feel the pressure Of the
tax. l have here a clipping. taken
from a paper published in the state Of
New York. where they are building
hard surfaced roads; it bears directly
upon that question. York state is
building macadamized roads, or stone
roads. Their state roads are sixteen
feet wide. They correspond with the
Iowa county road system. Their
county roads are fourteen feet wide.
and correspond to our township roads.
Now l was born and spent the first
thirty years of my life in Essex county,
state of New York. and know whereof
! speak. Let me read you a clipping
taken from a recent issue Of the
'Ticonderoga Weekly Sentinel" pub
lished in the town where Ethan Allen
demanded the surrender Of the fort in
the name Of the Great Jehovah and
the Continental Congress.
With the construction of about
fifty-two miles Of state road during the
coming season, there will be a total Of
$50 miles OF improved highways in the
thirtythird senatorial district includ-
ing Essex. Clinton and Warren coun-
ties. This includes the Great Inter
national Highway between New York
and Montreal, and numerous other
highways not on the trunk line in the
three counties, all of which have been
constructed during a comparatively
few years.
Among the appropriations reported
by the assembly ways and means
committee is one for s17s.s75 for road
work in Essex and Warren counties.
Seven new highways are to be con-
structed this year. They are Upper
JayLake Placid. seventeen miles:
Saranac Lake-Lake Placid, seven
miles; Schroon Lake toward Ticon-
deroga. six miles: Westport- wadha ms
Mills. FIVE miles: Bloomirgdale-
Saranac Lake, FIVE miles; Hague Hori-
con, Part 5, six miles: North Creek
North River. six miles.
The roads which will receive top
dressing this year and the appropria-
ton for each follows:
North Creek Minerva, six miles, S26,-
600: Alden Lair-county line. seven
miles, $4,000: Schroon Lake Carsons.
six miles $4,000: North Hudson,
Underwood, seven miles. $4,000. The
Luzerne road will be resurfaced at a
cost of $500. special appropria-
ton has been made for the oiling OF
the trunk line between warrenburg
and E1izabethtown at cost Of about
$500 per mile. This work alone will
cost many thousands Of dollars.
Now six or seven years ago these
cement roads were built. They were
supposed to be permanent roads. but
the frost Of seven winters has left
them 30 cracked and broken up that
now the state 10 planning to add S42.-
900 or $1,000 per mile to the ORIGINAL
cost to reconstruct them over again.
confusss MAeadam With Concrete.
Now. that is what 1t takes to keep
up the nard surfaced or macadamized
roads. The editor OF the MarshaNtown
Times has said for the past six or
seven years that II the counties In Iowa
Iowa will issue thirtyyear bonds, an
ticipating the money that IL now be-
ing used to I'LL the mud holes with.
that We could pave the county roads
of the state OF Iowa. wish that every
farmer in the state Of Iowa were here
to day and that my voice might reach
him. 1 also wish the editors OF those
papers we're here, and the advocates
of oaved roads. for these are the men
that want to meet and talk to. II I
could not prove by facts and figures
that the editors are mistaken, would
gladly step down OF this platform and
become a paved road enthusiast
Iowa Falls paid al.ss a yard for paw
ing this season. You apply that same
price to the paving Of a mile Of road in
Iowa, sixteen feet wide, and It will
cost you in round numbers $4,000, or
to be exact s15.s64. This is con-
servative figure, as New York road
expert makes the statement that you
can safely estimate the cost Of .
paved road at $1,000 per mile. for
every foot in width of tine road, which
would make the estimated cost for a
mile of Iowa paved roads sixteen feet
wide, $4,000. Wright county has 1853
miles of public roads. Multiply the
number Of miles by the estimated cost
per mile, and we have the enormous
sum Of S2.ssS.000. the estimated cost
Of paving all Of Wright county's roads.
The annual interest on this vast sum
at per cent is s134.400 or an annual
tax on each mile Of road in the county
Of $500. WITHOUT a cent expended to
keep up the roads or retire the bonds.
I defy any Of the defendants Of paved
roads TO stand before me and deny the
figures have given here.
Would Not lnersass Land Values.
Another point that they make =
that it will increase the price of our
farms $50 an acre-this came out just
a few days ago In the Marshalltown
Times. Fifty years ago there was NO
hard surfaced road In the state OF New
York. The farms that were then sell-
ing for 37s GO $50 an acre can b
bought for s25 to $50 right beside the
macadamized roads. 1t may seem
strange to you people In Iowa with
your high priced lands. but It Is fact
nevertheless. Now. what Is It that de-
are .a..a With ,n1uriou. playth.ns..