Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1916-07-28

per year every year they will dis
charge all interest and debt in 1910
or at the end OF the 25th year from
now and without any increase In the
rate of assessment. This also takes
into consideration an allowance OF
$4,000 per year for maintenance on
bridges while the permanent struc'
lures are being put in. Would 1t not
look as though Tama County tax pay
ers would be big money ahead by
such a program instead OF going
along as many counties have, putting
al their money into repairs on roads
and temporary bridges to be a con-
slant burden of expense for repairs
not only for the % years contemplated
In their estimate but for all time?
Under this program they get perman-
ent grades in three years, all roads
graveled in fifteen years, permanent
bridges in fifteen years and the whole
bill, grade, gravel and bridges. paid
for in full including interest in %
years.
Tama County with 21O miles OF
county road, 3378,O0O for grading.
S645,OOO for graveling and $1,43O,OOO
for bridges has big problem, very
much larger than the average county
but you can see how it works out when
business methods are applied. Did
you ever hear OF big insurance COM
pany building a large building, pay
Ing all interest from revenue, estab-
fishing 4 sinking fund to pay their
money back and eventually have all
thsir money back and still own the
building? Good scheme. Our people
can anticipate taxes the same as the
owner OF the building anticipates
rents, build roads, apply the money
they pay as taxes each year to tho
debt and in short time have the
roads all paid for and still own the
reads.
The same method would be pursued
In the matter Of graveling roads that
10 considered for permanent bridges,
and the sum total of the whole propo-
sition is that during period OF years
during all Of which time you would
be using this graveled road, instead
of dragging yourself and your family
through the mud, you would be pay
ing a little each year on these roads
and an amount no greater than you
are going to pay into the road fund
anyway. Counties with large amount
Of work to do in cutting down the
hills, with no gravel accessible there
by making the roads more expensive
to build than In the average county.
and on top OF that having low valua-
lions may not be able to pay for
crawling from present revenues
There are counties that cannot. 1t
may be necessary for such an unfortu-
nately situated county to permit road
districts to be formed, allowing those
property owners directly served by
the road to contribute to its construc-
ton. If those living directly upon the
road do not desire to do this then
those counties without gravel handy
and with steep hills to cut will have
to for the present put up with mud,
It is an unfortunate fact that these
very counties, because of their hills
and streams, have been obliged to
rob their road fund to repair their
bridges. In these counties better
roads may have to wait until perman-
ent bridges are in, and the repairs cut
out 80 all the money can go into per-
manent road work.
Eleven Iowa Counties Follow Plan.
Eleven counties in Iowa have al
ready issued bonds to do this work.
Under the law as it now stands the
board Of supervisors may issue bonds
to pay any overdraft in the road fund
They have proceeded sometimes after
instructions from publicly called
meeting and sometimes on their own
motion 70 improve the roads and then
issue bonds to take up the overdraft,
This is too much responsibility to
force upon the board Of supervisors.
The law should be changed giving the
people the right to anticipate revenues
If they wish, but revenues not to be
anticipated without the express au'
thority of the voters.
All our roads cannot be put in hrst
class condition in minute but we
can make a start. We can anticipate
revenues to an extent that will give
us improved roads over at least some
Of the most travelled roads and the
rest can come along as we get to 1T.
Let us cut out so far as possible this
awful waste Of repairing bridges this
year to be washed out next year and
grading our roads this year for next
springs rains to wash away.
The People Served to Decide.
Whether the county where condt-
tons are favorable should anticipate
revenues for enough to gravel the
roads Of the county is for the county
to determine. Whether the township
shall do this for the roads through the
township 10 for the township to de-
termine. Whether road districts shall
b organized and the tax payers In
thoco d}ctricfQ vote NNon the uuoS-