Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-09-22
Iona Newspapers
POOLING THE FARMER.

! There is much discussion. and will
be more, CT so-called hard-surfaced
roads. and the issue relating to them
is being confused. especially by dem
i agogs who are looking for a platform,
/ on which to ride into Office. Honest,
earnest, well meaning men differ in
their opinions as to road surfacing, but
much OF their difference is caused by
their misunderstanding each other
! Two things should be made clear:
| First, there are many types Of So
called surfaced roads, some of which
are entirely too expensive and little
adapted to our conditions. The dem
agog assumes that the friends of better
things stand for building paved roads
! costing $4,000 per mile, or nothing.
The facts are that these So called
paved roads are nowhere built except
| in limited way. usually near great
cities. or where by reason OF heavy
traffic, thev are demanded and found
to be economical.
In Ohio, which is noted for surfa ced
roads. most of the so-calIed surfaced
roads are built of gravel and cost
not TO exceed $500 10 $1,000 per mile
The same is true of Michigan, Wiscon-
sin. Minnesota, and to a considerable
extent OF 1iiEois.
1t may well, therefore be settled
in advance that a surfaced road is not
necessarily n paved and extremely ex-
pensive road
At the state fair the state highway
commission had an exhibit of short
sections OF many varieties of roads.
First, there was a we'll graded and
! drained dir, road.
Second. an oiled dirt road.
Third a graveled road.
Fourth an oiled gravel road.
Fifth gravel road mixed with an
asphaltam product.
Sixth. light and compa ratively in
expensive concrete road.
Seventh. a substantial brick road on
a heavy concrete base, designed for
heavy traffic in or near the cities
Eighth. a concrete road with heavy
base suitable for heavy traffic in the
vicinity of large cities.
Only the seventh and eighth kinds OF
roads here enumerated are expensive.
and IT is not the thought Of the state
highway commission nor Of others who
advocate surfaced roads, that such
pavements can be introduced and built
generally turnout the state Of Iowa
Only the dtnagog is figuring on their
wholesale Introduction, and they do 1t
| simply to friehten the farmers and ge:
up stampede, hoping to ride into Of
fee in the confusion.
In the second place, it Is assumed
that somebody somewhere is trying TO
ram bond issue down the .hroats OF
the farmers There may be differ
ences Of opinion as to the advisability
! of surfacins roads, but so far as we
know none of the road enthusiasts ad-
vocate a bond issue unless the same be
voted by the electors OF the community
| that will have the bonds TO pay. Gov
ernor Clarke stands for referring the
matter to the people. General Cosson,
who is a gubernatorial aspirant, has
announced that he likewise stands for
the referendum and no bond issue ex-
cept upon the express vote Of the peo-
pie, and Senator Joe Allen. who is a
candidate for governor, voted in the
last session Of the legislature for law
empowering the people to vote bonds II
they choose SO to do. for highway and
bridge improvement. W. w. Marsh.
who is an enthusiast for surfaced roads
| and mostly likely to be the democratic
nominee for governor, likewise stands
| for the refer cndum on issuing road and
bridge bonds.
| We know Of no one. road enthusiast
or otherwise. that desires a law re-
curing the surfacing Of any road ir
any community until the people Of
that community vote for the improve
ment. The only law that has beer
advocated is one permitting people K
spend their own money as they please
At the present time we have a Law
authorizing the people upon vote t.
bond for school houses. They ma!
4 vote bonds to build court houses; they
may vote to establish or disestablisf
a county high school; they may vote
to remove a county seat, and other
wise directly legislate for themselves
on many Questions. Are these privi
leges abused? Can not the people b.
trusted?
Here in Guthrie county we have .
lot Of gravel. The county engineer say
we have plenty Of good gravel to sur
face our roads. To be sure, there Il
not much gravel in the western par
of the county but the engineer sug
gests that by using steam shovel t
load dump wagons and then pull then
to their destination with 4 tractor tina
will haul fifteen to twenty Of them q
d lIIp, IAdl SIdVCI S0h NC pdS oAnAoo
anywhere in Guthrie county quit
eheaply. Moreover, the state hishwa,
commission has q tentative arrange
ment, we are informed, whereby grave
for road purposes will be delivere
by the railroad companies to almos
any railroad station in Iowa for 8
cents yard. On this basis, It will no
cost to exceed $500 to $500 per mil
to gravel Guthrie county roads, and
: easily within our reach.
Dirt roads are cursed by the uncer
tainty Of the weather. Put gravel Q
grit upon them. or other inexpensiv
isurfacins, and you can 20 any tim
} Up in Greene county they have alresd
: graveled many miles Of highway an
5 so for as We can learn. their take
are no higher than ours.
Farmers generally are disposing
their driving horses and more an
8 more depend upon the auto as Near
Q to get to and from their market place
i Thev want to 90 20 town when Il
wet and unfit to work in the iis!s. Ts.s
need roads they can travel 365 ia,
49, IN h0v