Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1916-06-21

"A 6tAM OJL0LH AASlCdA Va ICRAlIIMk
them. Surely no one will object to
this program so far as bridges are
concerned because the plan does not
contemplate paying into the bridge
fund single extra dollar but does in
fact cut out the repairs that you
would be obliged to make during the
years to come on temporary bridges.
It occurs to me that the only way you
can be sure that your taxes are not
going up is to follow this method.
Build Bridges A. You Do Schools.
! wish to call your attention to the
fact that If you were going to build
school house you would get to-
gether and determine on how much
that school house should cost you. No
one of you will propose to pay in
taxes enough this year to build that
school house. No one of you would
urge that all you could do this year
4 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 second
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
a period of years you would under
| your present rate Of assessment pay
In 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
i once, paying interest and principal
from your taxes as paid in. This Is
exactly the system proposed for our
permanent bridges. We will borrow
the money, build the bridges and have
the use Of them now. cut out all re-
pairs because they will be perma-
nent BRIDGES and then use our funds
a. 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 1913. Cerro Gordo
County, on the other hand which be-
gan building permanent bridges ten
years ago, will be completely bridged
with masonry In the next Ave years
and will have no more use for bridge
| fund except very small tax to keep
| up the maintenance on bridges that
should last one hundred years. Cerro
Gordo County spent $4337 for bridge
repairs in 1914 and 5000 last year,
an average of $4,000, even though they
are not completely bridged with per-
manent bridges, while the average for
the whole state was $25,700 per coun-
ty for repairs and temporary construc-
tion.
Harrison County, has been paying
az she goes, and has practically no
permanent bridges, and last year spent
for repairs alone $4,000. Shelby
County had seventy-fiye old system
bridges washed ont in the spring Of
1913 while not single bridge design
ed BY the State Highway Commission
has been lost In the entire. state
during a period Of three years.
believe anticipating revenue to
build permanent bridges will appeal
TO you as practical. We do not ordin-
ariIy expect to pay for expensive
bridges in single season.
Shall the Roads b oravslsd1
with the hills cut down, the road
wen graded, rounded, drained, with
permanent bridges, and having agreed
lhat gravel helps the road. the nsxt
question Il to put I surface On tho
roads that will make them passable
every day IN the year.
Our State Geological Survey reports
gravel deposits in 20 counties In the
state OF Iowa. There are In the Az
srage county in Iowa 100 miles in the
county highway system. These coun-
ty highways will very largely serve
all the residents Of the county and
are all and more than could be reason
ably expected to be graveled at this
time unless certain districts wish to
get together and gravel other roads.
Greene county's Example.
Greene County has more gravelsd
roads than any other county in the
state. They are one of the more for
tunate counties in having gravel &C
cessible. They find their average cost
for graveling their roads $1400 per
mile, on the basis OF one half the
roads having one course Of gravel and
the other half Of the roads having
two courses. They paid into their
road fund last year S36.S47. Averag-
ing $1,100 per mile for grading to
permanent grade, which has been their
experience, they have total cost OF
$500 per mile for permanently grad
ed graveled road. They have 1872
miles Of county highway and on the
basis OF present revenue county
similarly situated could by borrow
ing the money at 41k9o interest with
out increased revenue grade and
gravel all the county system and pay
OF all the bonds in % years.
This is allowing 500 per mile each
year for maintenance, which will give
them as good If not little better
road at the end Of the % years -
they have when first completed.
Clay County.
Clay County roads need but little
grading and gravel is plentiful. En-
gineers estimate the expense Of grad
ing and graveling their county road
system at 100000 per mile or $780,
900 for their 14O miles. On present
valuation their road tax raises $4,000
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