Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-06-02
URGES HOME RULE.
TT SOLVING GOOD.
ROADS CUES TON.
Senator Joe Allen Would Give
People of Individual Commune
tiles Right to Decide on Road
improvements.
SUBMITS DEFINITE PLAN
FOR ROAD IMPROVEMENT
Gubernatorial Candidate Would
Provide Legal Machinery to
Aid Communities In Building
Good Roads in Iowa.

The people who foot the bills
should have the right to say whether
there shall ba any bills.
The people who furnish the money
to pay the bills should have the sole
right OF determining how that money
shall be spent. s
These two cardinal rules feature
the road Improvement district plan
originated and championed by Sem
ator Joseph H. Allen OF Pocahontas,
in his campaign for the republican
| nomination for governor. SENATOR
Allen has made a remarkable auto>t
mobile run across the state, expound-l
ing the issues Of the campaign which,
is rapidly reaching the crucial stage.
Senator Allen believes In gooda
roads, but he does not believe ind
bonding the people to pay for goodf
roads without first giving them tho
right to say whether there shall NJ
any improvements. He believes in4
the home rule theory as the best solu.
ton of the good roads problem.
Let no demagogue. railroad orr
booze hireli-g lead you to believed
that I am trying to bond you with.
out your consent" declared SenatorI
Allen in addresses along the route
of his tour. II favor the encour-
agement Of and not tho compulsory
building OF good roads. The indi-
vidual communities should be given
the right to say whether the roadsl
in those communities should be imA
proved, II at all. They only foot thed
bills. and they only should have the |
right to say whether there should bel
any bills. how large or OF what ma
There has been wrong i'm
preston regarding my VIEWS on
the road question circulated by
opponents. mover havc believed
In . compulsory road improve
ment law. believe In encOurag.
ing tho building Of good roads.
! but not forcing the building Of
good roads. I believe that the
| people who foot the bills alone
should have the right To say
whether the roads should DO Inn.
proved and how"
II am opposed to improving the
country roads unless the owners OF
the property directly benefited and
who have to pay the bills ask to as
sumo the burden. ! 80 unalterab!yy
opposed to any plan whereby anyone
not having to pay the bills might
vote them on the property OF Others"
~ favor encouraging. rather than
forcing road building. by state aid
and the helpful state supervision. My
plan is simple would merely pro-
vide the legal machinery whereby
good roads may be secured at the
time. place, and in the manner most
economical and practical. according
to the various needs OF the local
community to be served by the road
district, and would provide encour-
agement by state aid and supervision.
Roads must not only be built, but
must be maintained. The road dis
trict plan furnishes the organization
for both. This plan will permit the
organization OF townships within
their own boundaries. IL the people so
desire"
provide . way whereby chenp
money can he secured and tho
people will take care Of tho road
building question In Iowa."
II believe In system OF 'all-
around -the-year' roads, but the lo.,
cality itself should determine the
time, the place. and the materials to
be used, according to the varying,
financial and engineering needs. 1t,
would be impractical to establish a.
uniform material. ForEheavily trav-I
eled highways near cities. especially.
require harder material in order to-
secure permanency, while other ma
terial would satisfy the needs OF;
roads seldom used. Differences in,
character Of soil in the various cons,
munities must also be considered. An
abundance CT gravel or rock near
the proposed improvement. would
make 1t impractical to 60 to great
distance for another material be-,
cause 1t Is the only kind permitted
by law.
THE district road plan Is fash
Toned. in a measure, after the drain
age plan, which has worked out sue
cesss"my."