Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-03-04
POLK COUNTY FARMERS HELPLESS.

POLK COUNTY FARMERS HELPLESS.
! Farmers living IN the vicinity OF Des
MONIES must have sprung from 8 diff
feren; freed than those row residing
y some other communities for when
nearly 500 Of them were gathered at a
road meeting at Ankeny this week
their demand was almost unanimous
for . country road TO be paved with
brick
There are many such roa6s in Ohio,
New York and Pennsylvania paved
n;re and len fee, wide with brick. The
Polk county eaeiree-s estimate for
hr:ck paving on country roads is $3.50
per square yard or about $500 per
mile for single track nine feet wide
with gravel on each side Of that Il
would last app-oxj1na thirty years
under modern traffic conditions which
are mostly Of rubber tires and its cost
Of maintenance would be nominal;
10, 20 exceed SIS per mile per annun
tfo- the whole period
! # such al Improvement cos'ld be
bonded for thirty years which is not
now possible under me la~, the cost
O: such brick road would Re $500
per 2anuu Cor payments upon the
2-inc. pal II il were PAID IL equal an
rpal .zs1allznents as serial bonds pro
v:de the whole cost we-.d average
only half The time or IT .sres- or half
the Interest for all the time so thai
A. Der cent bonds wog,1l a-ararA -.
per cen, per aoaum 1pcn The fun
amount or sea2 SO per anuum average
.R1eres. charge Add the average main
,e-ance and s527.Se per anaurn for
thirty years would pay for mile OF
brick read
There IS 20 provision for assessing
rural pavemeDts 10 aout1!1g farms II
this state and probably never VIII BE-
Rural highway improvements are not /
financed that way il any s-aCe- The
usual plan Is to create an Improvement
dist-.c, which IS 20 be served by The
road and assess for the cosl all Land
within the district ;nclud!r1g she city
10 which the road leads There IS no
provision for this in the Iowa Law no"
50 the farmers Of Polk COUNTY VII
have to pass .he ha, around for erack
roads 4 they get them and they VIII
10. have any Ihirty-year easy pay
nan- plan for the contractor Will want
ala cash,
The present county road tax IN Polk
county together with ics automobile
money are sufficient tvs ear 20 meet
half Of this fixed charge TOR putting
a 81 GOO brick road on every mile o.
the county road system IN Poik
cou7,y - miles and everybody
KNOWS tha, fixed road lev!ss viii raise
-7nre money every year Of the thirty
Years because Of Few property SUD
3A-- 20 .axa-:c1 and automobiles are
ca-a:- 70 dour!e n number. il Is
safe - say ,aa: Polk county could
na-- -wo -h.-6s q the liked charge
upon - niles Of single track oTach
/ -os5s 1r.aul increasing present
-a-4s = .a1a..ua # road revenues
could r. r.c,@5ed FOR Inc approximate
we 81 re ;,sveu1enis which her 9'o
farmers war. near AnEeag- Inc
,,-.- ,.7+-th.-d would cost s3o each
vaa- for = quarter section farm
zbu...-g me pavement ard s@
per z1r1n for rhe farm BACK
q thai Z II we're 10 De as
sesse6 IS special paving tax
mt Z SPECIAL levy eou'o DC
spread over district as is the meIaoo
= Use II other states the city o. D-s
MONIES would pay u'ost q this one
,hi-5 II would cost the city l m'N
upon all If its taxable property.
The cne thing about Il thaz Is lack
.ng y Iowa = li-at ti'er- ~ 81" way
n-5er tbs present Law whereby the
farmers can assess themselves By their
votes nor Whereby the city can he'p
with taxes even if the voters were
all unan:rnnus We Lack in Iowa the
legal right 70 co IS We please with
cur ovr money in building car ONE
roads except ,hat q boas3 Of super
y{sors can bond road revenues LOT
twenty years without any consent
from the people hut then the tax
must fall alike upon ali farms while
the roads 70 be built VIII Adult only
few farms.