Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-01-14
lama CAN GRAVEL HER ROADS.

If Tama county only knew what
could he done on her roads with
present rates of taxation the thraldom
Of mud would soon be overthrown If
Tama would bond its present county
road taxes and automobile revenues
the entire county road system OF 207
miles could be put TO permanent grade
and graveled out Of the property tax
without increasing the millage levy
and fifty miles Of single track
pavement on the Lincoln highway or
elsewhere, or eighty miles more of
gravel could be built and paid for out
Of the auto license money if bonded.
If the present bridge levies are not
changed il Tan1a county for thirty
years they will raise enough money.
if bonded to replace every temporary
bridge in Tama county with masonry.
pay off its debt with interest and
maintenance and leave enough money
in the bridge fund to gravel IL miles
i4piV VI ~ Iis4A1p iOEANs-
Tama county is raising $50. geo for
bridges and $4,000 for county roads
Property subject 10 taxation In this
county has been increasing at the rate
of per cent per annum for the past
twenty years and will continue TO do
SO IN the future. Thus during the next
changed will average $4,000 per an
mum for bridges and 5000 per annum
for county roads. The entire county
could be bridged with masonry for
S750,OOo and rhirty-year bonds paid
off with interest for $4,000 per annum,
leaving $4,000 per annum saved out
Of the bridge fund whereas as much
as $4,000 has been spent in This county
IN one year upon repairs 70 wooden
bridges
4 graveled road would cost $4,000
per mile for gravel and $1,000 per mile
for grading or $4,000 per mile, which
on the twenty payment plan would
cost ever year for twenty years $3.50
per mile for principal. average interest
and maintenance. Tama countys esti-
mate Of $4,000 per annum from levies
which are now fixed by law would
gravel the entire county road system
on the twenty payment plan. The
auto license money raises E1+.533 per
anaum now and will average $4,000
per annum inside of five years.
This. if bonded for thirty years. would
pave fifty miles or If bonded for twenty
years would gravel eighty miles.
Every state in the union now. ex-
cepting Iowa, and two others, provides
for bonding local road and bridge reve-
nues for permanent improvements on
highways just as they do for school
houses and court houses and II per
cent of all the counties in all states Of
the union are bonding but in Iowa the
only way bonds can be issued is for
some board to deliberately overdraw
its funds, run the county in debt and
then after the job is done refund all
unpaid warrants with bonds. Clay and
Hardin counties are going ahead with
permanent road and bridge work under
this plan anyway, but Governor
Clarke's commission hopes to have the
| Legislature provide for submitting road
projects to the people OF Inc town
ships, districts or counties for bonds to
be authorized before the officers make
their contracts. At present there Is
no way for townships to bond their
revenues for roads and most of the
townships do not have money enough
to do more than temporary repair
work. The commissions idea is that
when the people Of a township vote
| their taxes and authorize bonds the
leounty government should sell county
bonds and pay them OF CT. 81 the
township revenues so voted