Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1916-06-21

cannot be the best men in the worlt
for this work or have the broad ex
perience that many men have had.
do not mean to say that competent
men are the exception or that incom
petent are the rule. But do mean t.
say that occasionally we find men fill
ing these positions who are not com
petent. can, for instance, tell yor
of bridges that have been built under
our old system with the tax payers
money where the bridges did moi
stand up until they we're finished.
can show you photographs Of bridges
that stood out in fields clear of the
road. There have things happened II
the conduct Of our bridge building
and road building In Iowa that are
almost past believing.
When you and ! 90 to build house
We call In an architect, some man
who has had training and education
along that line. When We are Ill, We
call in the doctor; and when We wish
advice upon legal matters. we 90 ia
the lawyer. Why, then. should moi
the 400 members Of the boards Of sup
ervisors. the 80 county engineers and
the 5000 township trustees have some
institution to which they can turn for
advice some institution to which
they can submit their plans and speci'
flcations for advice az to whether OF
not they are practical-some institu.
tion that in the interest Of the tar
payers of Iowa will cut out the mis-
takes and safeguard our interests
This Is the service that the State
Highway Commission was designed to
render to the state Of Iowa.
There was spent last year In Iowa
313.o00,000 on permanent bridges,
grading and other work that came
under the supervision Of the State
Highway Commission. The total *
psnss Of the State Highway Commis.
sion including al salary and expenses
was $4,000 which shows that tho 20.
tual percentage for this supervision
was six.tenths Of ~. Surely this II
not expensive when you consider tho
service rendered and in view Of the
fact that the experimenting by coun-
ty engineers cost 1850 or i've times
as much. And remember that aside
from the three members Of the COM
mission itself every employee Is an
engineer out In the field working in
active cooperation with the county
engineers. The advice and assistance
rendered by this Commission Is well
worth all 1t costs, and am in favor
Of retaining the Highway Commission
law. Possibly there might be some
in the law, but ! am
not in favor Of doing away with the
Commission.
Cost Of Concrete Cut Fifty Percent.
One Of the instances Of the good
work 1t has accomplished is in the
cost Of our bridges alone. In the
state of Iowa the cost has been re-
duced from $500 per cubic yard to
$3.50 per cubic yard. Look up the
cost per cubic yard OF concrete cul-
verts Of few years ago in this coun.
ty and then see what It costs now.
You will And that in 1918 you paid
$17.55 not including hauling Of mate
rails which would bring the cost to
ct least 1890 per cubic yard while
last year notwithstanding the fact co
ment, reinforcing steel and labor
have all advanced IN price, they cost
You $3.50 per cubic yard and the
queer part OF 1t Is that the same firm
Is doing the work but now 1t is done
under supervision OF the Highway
Commission by competitive bid, while
before it was under a blanket con-
tract. Has the Commission saved
You anything? Instead Of there be-
ing few bridge companies that can
to build bridges now, you
have many local concerns scattered
all over the state building these
bridges according to plans and speci-
fications approved by your engineers.
The saving to the tax payers in the
building Of bridges has many times
paid all the cost Of the Highway Com
mission.
quote the following from cor
respondent in Iowa and 1t is only
sample:
Our county has taken advan-
tage OF the State Engineers adj
wise on bridge building for seven
years, or four years before it be-
came compulsory under the pres
ent law, and the cost Of putting
in our bridges has decreased from
$4,000 per cubic yard to $3.50 last
year. There are two cement
bridges in our county which illus
trate the old way under bridge
company plans and methods and
the new or Highway Commission
plan. One bridge was built in
1908 by the bridge company and
cost $3750.00. The other was built
in 1915, is three feet wider. the
water way Is six feet larger, the
bridge contains "a barrels more Of
cement and it cost $1375.00."
$135, 900 Saved On Steel.
In 1918 the structural steel used
for bridges was practically all pur-
chased under a blanket contract en-
tered into prior to the passage Of the
present Road Law at an average
price Of s5.35 per hundred pounds.
In 1914 structural steel was pur-
chased at advertised lettings under
the plans and standard specifications
Of the State Highway Commission at
an average price of $3.50 per hundred.
Correcting for the difference In the
base price Of steel for the two years,
the net saving to the state on this