Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-03-30
Hon. James F. Johnson Writes Elk.
planatory Note to Hamilton
County Representative.
GOOD FEATURES OF HIS BILL
Thinks it Will be Great Improve
ment Over the Present
Road Law.

Hon. James F. Johnson, author OF
the Johnson road bill, which has
caused such a stir in some sections
of the state and especially here in
Webster City, has written note to
Hon. RUDE McFerren pointing out
some of the advantages of this pro-
posed measure over the present law
and giving some of the reasons why
it should be endorsed by the legisla-
ture. Following is copy OF Mr..
Johnson's letter:
Des Moines, March S.--Hon. RUDE
McFerren, Webster City. Dear Sir:
In compliance with my promise to
send you a statement of the princl-
pal arguments in support OF House
File No. 2S2 to be handed to Sena-
tor Chase, | herewith submit the
following remarks. This bill is in
tended to so amend the present road
law as to preserve all it's good features
remove it's defects and effect such
changes and make such additions as
two years experience with its opera
ton has demonstrated necessary to
make a practical and workable law
for governing the building of roads.
1t proposes to eliminate the red
tape" waste and delays occasioned
by maintaining State Highway
Commission to whom must be refer
red for approval all plans and spec
ifications for permanent road and
bridge work and all contracts for
road by improvement, the estimated
cost of Which exceeds $4,000, by
abolishing that body and providing
scheme of road building whereby
a greater return can be realized from
our road investments. The commits
sion spent last year approximately
$4,000 In other words, it cost the
counties of the state on an average
about $3.50 to support it. The fact,
known to all persons in any way
intimately associated with road
work, is that the benefits derived
from these expenditures do not JUS
tify the cost. Besides the records OF
practically every county in the state
Notwithstanding the preposterous
claims of the commission, show that
the cost of accomplishing a unit of
either bridge or grading work OF the
same quality has increased from "a
to SO per cent since the present law
went into effect. In view of these
facts and the further fact that Iowa
is building no state roads, the com
mission should be abolished and the
funds now used. in maintaining II
should be applied in moving dirt anC
building bridges. There is no more
need of a state commission to super
intend the expanding of the county
road funds which are paid out FOL
road purposes only, than that there
should be one to direct the expendins
of the general county fund which il
paid out for various purposes.
The notion of many not acquaint
ed with the essential facts to form
correct Judgment that more work ha
been done on the roads the, past yea
than has been done in any year be
fore. is due to the fact of the grea
increase in valuation and levies tw'
years ago, the rapidly growing aut
fund, the surplus road funds of tn
preceding year not used on accoun
of the work being held up by tn
commission, and the great over
drafts of the road funds of almos
every county of the state.
Now there has been spent on l
per cent of the roads in every coun
ty from two to three times as niue
county money as formerly spent o
all It's ROADS. lulS ueluSlon 10 u
the more apparent when it is know
that this fifteen per cent of the road
comprising the county road systel
were selected because they were tn
best and most Travelled roads Of tn
respective counties.
This bill provides for substitutin
for the commission competeI
= state highway engineer, whose dl
/ ties shall be to prepare and furnis
= each county with standard plans al
. specifications for permanent bridg
l and culverts of all designs ar
= sizes, to disseminate information
: road work to every county and to a
S wise with road officials on any ma
: ter pertaining to highway al
e bridge construction. This won
e greatly reduce the overhead cost
= road work and place the state e
gineer in the same relation to &
road affairs of the state as the sta