Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-05-27
LOCAL, COMMENT

Of cement, the fact that much Of the
gravel to be used will have to be
shipped In and that labor Is scarce,
the bid Of $1.2S1a on concrete paving Is
q very satisfactory price to the prop
erty owner. II every precaution Is
taken to otain perfect inspection, this
years paving work ought to be sue
cess. At this price with curblng at
'thirty-two cents per lineal foot the
cost Of street paving for a pavement
twenty-four feet wide will be about
$2.0S per front foot. This will vary
somewhat because the cost Of street
intersections will be included and
added to the lot frontage and then the
total cost will be subdivided by being
assessed partially to lots nearby, but
within 800 feet.
Property owners on outlying streets
who get only the sixteen foot pavement
at first past their agricultural land
can eventually have the street i'm
provement completed with four feet
more of pavement and a curb on each
side at a cost OF approximately ninety
cents per foot of property frontage
The joint between the old and the new
would be filled with asphalt and used
as an expansion joint.
4
1T was surprising that so few OBJ
jectors appeared when the lawyers had
only twenty five clients out of several
hundred who are to be assessed. This
is also notable from the fact that the
costs listed on the schedule are gross
costs in all cases and do not make al
lowances for the reductions, which
the council already has In mind when
levying the assessments. Objection to
the constitutionality Of the law is not
taken, seriously as paving has already
been laid in other cities under this law
and no paving law has been declared
unconstitutional in many years. The
whole argument revolves about the
question Of benefit to the property
which is always a. question Of judg-
ment. Practically all the objections
raised by the attorneys are as to bene-
fits. The Law charges the city council
with the duty Of determining the
amount Of benefit and If the council
errs in it's Judgment the district
Judge can correct the assessment up
on appeal and trial upon the evidence.
City paving and even rural highway
improvements have been constructed
Under special district laws all over the
United States for a great many years.
in fact the most rapid progress, both
in city street and in rural road I'M
provement' seems to take place where
the special district. plan is in operation.
The cityoeouneir might avoid expen-
sive litigation. by proposing to arbi-
trate this question Of benefit with the
property owners Let the DIRECTORS Sc
lect two arbiterst other than lawyers.
the city two and those four select
fifth man to pasy upon the question OF
benefit without expense The general
desire Is for the. city to grow and i'm
prove ,and,pbjeetions Of individuals
should not be permitted to stand In the
way Of progress while on the other
hand; no injustice should be done to Il
single person in the assessment OF
costs. It ought to be easy to dispose
Of the objection as to the paving being
,omiteed along The soldiers home prop
:ertyt since that ,pEopsrty Is outside OF
Tho. city and ~ Dot subject . to city
councils jurisdiatiopoa Nhise pavement
will be laid eventually but II the next
legislature fails to appropriate for it
the city will have to pay for it out OF
q general fund which. in effect, will
como back on toEthe property Of the
DIRECTORS for their pro: rata share.
They are not injured just now. by the
policy Of waitingFfo the state to pay
for that paving. >.
Street paving has started develop
ment in the southwest part Of town SO
rapidly that the residents there now
want Linn street7opend trom Ninth to
Twelfth and also desire that Tenth or
Eleventh be opened from Boone to
Main streets. There should be some
thought Of the future greatness of that
section before houses are built where
streets ought to be.
e
Everybody will be glad to see one
road graveled out of Marshalltown.
Residents Of Albion are complaining
that the direct road to Albion Is in
such deplorable condition just now.
Perhaps when the Marietta road Is
once graveled the residents of the Al
bion road will want their road i'm
proved too. 1t is hoped, however. that
a good job will be done on the Mari
eta road. That means a permanent
grade with draining where necessary
and the SraVel cOH1pdCIeu III d IIehCii
smooth and free from bumps. There
should be plenty Of clay in the gravel
to cement 1t. 1t lis however. a sad
commentary on our farmer friends
that those farmers who recently want Q
graveled road have to come to a booss
ters' club in town to get It instead IF
going. to board Of supervisors which
has plenty Of tax money at its COM
.nand to gravel all Of the county roads
in Marshall county.
-
There Is bound to be confusion as
to candidates for the board of super
visors. There will be two to nominate
on each party ticket and two to be
elected next fall. One will take office
Jan. / next and the other a year later.
Mr.. Jones' term expires first. He is a
candidate to succeed himself and he is
opposed for the republican nomination
by Mr.. Thompson. Mr.. Lynch, Is a
democrat, and is a candidate for the
democratic nomination to succeed him