Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-08-25

Importance of good roads. Most intelli-
gent people who think about good roads
know that they are essential to COM
Portable living essential to proper COM
munity development. especially to the
development of rural life, to efficient
production and orderly marketing of
farm products, to good schools. and to
the development of satisfactory rural
life.
Many people. however. do not ap-
preciate this, and l have occasionally
met road officers who, when the impor-
| lance of good roads was emphasized,
have said: Yes, but they cost so much
Apparently they have not thot how
much more bad roads cost, not only in
dollars and cents, but also in all those
indirect ways for which one can make
no definite calculation.
Large Expenditures For Roads.
This law appeals to me as of espe-
cial Importance, not so much because 1t
carries with it out of the federal treas
ury an appropriation of $S5,0O0.OOO.
not because it will be met by an APP
preparation of s75.000.000 or more out
of state funds, if all the states accept
the act, bu. sseca use as great as is the
aggregate, it is relatively insignificant
in comparison with amounts the states
are now annually eXpending and will
spend during the period covered by the
act.
Il remember that, on one occasion,
when was speaking to Il public Off
| cial about the road bill and suggested
that we ought to begin with a modest
initial appropriation of three, four or
five millions of dollars. he expressed
surprise and said that such an amount
would not get us anywhere; that the
expenditure by the nation of anew mil
lions of dollars for roads would be
merely trif'ing with the matter. / ask
ed him if he knew what the people of
the nation were contributing annually
for road building. that the nation was
already expanding the equivalent of
nearly half of what the Panama canal
has cost. OF course he did not. And
the majority of people do not realize
that the nation is expending approx
mately $3.50, 1900 a year for roads.
Dollars Result For Each Dollar.
1.-The main question that am imme-
diately concerned with, that the people
of the nation are Immediately concern
ed with. is whether we shall get dol
lars result for every dollar we expend
for roads. I am quite sure that II we
do so and we can convince the people
that we have done so, they will be will
ing 10 put much more money into good
roads whore they are needed. There
fore, the matter of administering his
law, of devising good road systems, OF
careful selection OF roads. of formulat-
ing projects. Of developing plans and
specifica tions, of having al: matters
considered on their merit by competent
men. seen. to me to lie at the root OF
this business If. as ,ne result o! this
ac.. the people are induced fully to
realize the necessity of placing skiliful
and experienced men in charge of road
building and road maintenance, great
advance will have been made and ef-
forts of those who labored to secure
the legislation will have been re.
warded.
Employment of Experts.
Il assume as a matter of necessity
that this law will require the employ
ment in every state of experts. OF real
experts. This word is very much mis-
used and abused, as the word theor-
ist' is. ] frequently hear contrast
drawn between the theorists and the
practical men. There is no basis for
it. The classification ought to be into
good theorists and bad theorists. OF
practical men and impractical men. A
really good theorist is highly practical;
and so is real expert. The pubic IS
somewhat suspicious Of experts. be-
cause, 1 think. so many people pose as
experts who are not. When the public
sets an expert aside, 1t is worth while
to inquire carefully into the experts
claims and competency.
Il repeat that this act will necessi-
tate trained intelligence in the service
of the state as well as in the service of
the federal government. The act re-
auires the state to accept it. That, as
understand it, implies the assent OF
the state to every provision of the act.
One of these provisions is that projects,
plans, specifications and contracts
shall be submitted and approved; and
| I have a suspicion that plans and spe-
cifications will not be approved unless
they are submitted by people who know
about such things SO the assent of the
state Nvolves the calling of trained
men into the service Of every state
which is now without them.
Pledge Of State.
"The law involves another thing. the
pledge of the faith of the state to meet
| in full the federal appropriation FOR the
entire period covered by the act. The
state legislature may not be able to ap-
propriate money one year for the whole
period covered by the act. but 1t can
pledge the faith of the state to meet
the financial provisions Of the act Tor
the period covered by 1t. This is as 1T
should be. 1t would be unfortunate II
it were otherwise. 1t would be waste
FIJI not to make plans at the outset Tor
the full period covered by the act; IT
would mean piece meal road building
and mnth dissipation Of effort and mis-
ldi-ection Of funds. These requirements
hold whether the state as such, unoer
/ the existing law, may engage in road
lbuilding or not. The provision that
where the state may not engage IN
highway improvement the money may
LIE secured if counties raise an amount
suffic. ent to meet the apportlonment 10
the state involves the necessity on the
mart OF such counties Of raising an
/ amount sufficient to meet the full APP
portionment for the state, the existence
OF q highway commission, and conf
pliance with all the other terms OF the
/ act. / speak of this because there arc
| evidences that individual counties thinR
If they raise certain sum OF mon !
/ ey they will Of necessity get cor