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

County am talking about you would,
in 90 years pay in enough money to
put in these permanent bridges. .in1
Guiding all the interest you would pay
et four and one-half percent. You
ought under present conditions to GET
tho money at four percent and at thet!
rate you would discharge the whol9
debt and pay al the interest in ~
years.
l wish to emphasize that this 10 ~
the basis of your average for the past
three years. On the basis of what
sou spapt on bridges last Year (1916)
you f94ld Ply OF all your bonds and
iutefeSi Ia Il years. On the othel
hand On the basis Of what actually
went into permanent bridges last year
It will take you l1s years to get per.
papept byi8fes II Cas- County be-
paid in bridge taxes went into repairs.
also wish to call your attention.
70 the fact that Qfss County was not
especially selected by me but got
tho figures on Cass County because
was requested to come here and
talk this problem over with you. You
WI agree that with the Nishnabotna
River, Indian Creek, Camp Creek,
Walnut Greek. ETC., more bridges are
necessary in Cass county than in
many of the other counties of the
state or counties not having 30 many
streams. You have, In fact, ono OF
the worst counties in the state 50 far
as the number of bridges necessary 10
concerned. The average county will
need to spend but two-t4irds to three
fourths as much for bridges as Cass
County will need to spend, and their
bonds will therefore be paid of in .
proportionately fewer number OF
years. The tax payers of the other
counties of the state should have this
In mind in considering these figures.
Permanent Bridges Save Repairs.
After you ray off the principal and
interest on the bond issue that woul9
give you permanent bridges over all
your streams you are big money
ahead because you save the large
amount you are now spending for 70.
pairs. In other words, the tax pay.
ers would spend no more than they
are now paying and ip a few yeart
will actually pay less ipto the bridge
fund, and instead Of putting blf.
den upon your children you actually
relieve them Of the burden OF repai}.
: Some Of your present bridges af1
in good condition and you would Of
course not take these out but for the
present would borrow only sufficient
money to put in permanent bridges ii
place OF the temporary bridges that
must be replaced and then next year
or in two or three years borrow -.
other amount to replace other bri4f1e
that have outlived their usefulhtss
and then in another period replace
still others instead of repairing"
them. Surely no one will object 70
this program 30 far 40 bridges ARE
because the plan does 4ot
paying into the bridge
fund q single extra dollar but does u
TACT cut out the repairs that ~
would bs obliged to make during the
years to come on temporary bridges.
Il occurs 70 ne that the only way 700
can be sure that your taxes are not
going up 10 to follow this method.
Build Bridges AZ You Do Schools.
wish to call your attention to the
fact that If you we're going to build
4 school house you would get 70.
gether and determine on how much
that school house should cost you. No
one Of you will propose to pay u
taxes enough this year to build that
school house. No one OF you woulG
urge that all you could do this year
would be to dig the cellar or furnace
room. next year put in the foundation,
the year after put In the first floor,
the year after that put in the secona
floor and in the fifth year put on the
roof, and all these years be without
The school building. No, you would
agree among yourselves that during
4 period Of years you would under
your present rate Of assessment pay
In a certain sum in taxes to the build.
ing funds which could be applied to
this particular building and that you
would borrow the money and build
the school house and move into It at
pnce, paying interest and principal
from your taxes as paid in. This 10
exactly the system proposed for our
bridges. We will borrow
The money, build the bridges and have
the use of them now, cut out all -.
pairs because they will be perma-
nent bridges; and then use our funds
% they come in to retire the bonds.
There are counties in Iowa that
have been settled for sixty years that
did not have single permanent
bridge when the Highway Commits
sion was created in 1918. Cerro Gordo
County, on the other hand. which be-
|an building permanent bridges ten
years ago, will be completely bridgsd
with masonry in the next five years
and will have no more use for bridge