Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1916-04-20

paved IL Will nc WIFI u ludJOiltv
at home so decides and then it
will be their own business. Until
a majority so decides there will
be no paving and when a majority
of mans own neighbors DELHI
erately take upon themselves a
tax burden the average citizen can
AID MILLIONS
afford to pay his share. If the
people are not to be trusted with
the right to build roads With
bonds why not take away from
them the right TO build school
houses that way?
Logan, Ia, April 49, To the
Editor of the Missouri Valley
Times. Dear Sir I'm answer TO
your request herewith give my
view of the editorial appearing
in the Nonpareil on April IS,
1916, under the head line Mil
lions in Harrison County. In
paragraph one it is stated that
Harrison county is doing good
work upon its roads and bridges,
and then recites that this county
| spent more on its old bridges
than new bridges and repairs cost
in an average Iowa county If
the first is true the second can
not be. The first is true.
| No contention on paragraph two
with reference to permanent
bridges and culverts. all are for
permanent bridges. Paragraph
three is a deliberate misrepre-
sentation. Any man that will
contend that the bridges of Har-
rison county are weaker than
forty years ago ought not to ask
that his judgment be taken seri-
ously on matters of road or
bridge building.
Paragraph four is a contrast
between Cerro Gordo county,
with only twelve townships and
Harrison county with twenty and
does not give the number OF
bridges nor the length of bridges
to be built and maintained in each
county and therefore is not a good
comparison. However, believe
Harrison county should build
permanent bridges as fast as it
can without making the tax too
burdensome. l hope they will
not buy them at war prices. But,
when the price of steel becomes
normal it would be advisable to
buy as needed.
Paragraphs five and six are
simple guesses of future hap
openings.
| Paragraph seven is not specific
as it does not give width and
depth Of gravel and so cannot be
| figured in this answer, but il does
not consider maintenance cost
and the writer should be fair to
the voters and tell them that to
maintain hard surfaced roads is
a greater problem than the build
ing of them. New York spent over
5000 per mile in 1914 and over
500 per mile in 1915 TO main
tain it's so-called permanent
roads. All of this so-called good
roads literature is silent on the
problem of cost Of maintenance.
Paragraph eight says Harrison
county needs financier worse
than it needs more taxes. No, the
taxpayers of Harrison county
need to do their own thinking
and should form in township and
county organization and at these
meetings discuss and assemble
all information possible from
other states where just such
propositions as This have been
tried. The last part Of paragraph
eight is answered by the first
part of paragraph one. In para
graph nine we have the words
"hut suppose there should be
some difference of opinion in
| Harrison county as to issuing
bonds the majority of the voters
lshould decide. There should be
some power in law for the people
to decide by vote as they would
if some school board desired to
build a new school house. Grant
this power of local option and
every request Of the road boosters
of Iowa has been met agree
with this quotation to the let
ter. 1 believe the taxpayers of
this county should decide by ma
jority vote what road improve
ments should be made and should
elect the officers that direct the
improvement in the same manner.
Local government without
deviation is my purpose and if it
is the same with the cement man
ufacturers, the motor companies
and the bond brokers they might
use the space with which they
are fighting me for other pur-
lposes. M. B. PITT.