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

- pay any overGralt IN tho rOad tund.
They have proceeded sometimes after
instructions from publicly called
meeting and sometimes on their own
motion to improve the roads and then
issue bonds to take up the overdraft.
This 10 too much responsibility to
force upon the board Of supervisors.
The law should be changed giving the
people the right to anticipate revenues
II they wish, but revenues not to be
anticipated without the express an.
thority Of the voters.
All our roads cannot be put In FIRST
class condition In minute but we
can make . start. We can anticipate
revenues to an extent that will give
10 improved roads over at least some
Of the most travelled roads and the
rest can come along % We get to It.
Let 10 cut out 80 far % 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 10 Decide.
Whether the county where condi.
lions are favorable should anticipate
rsvsnues for enough to gravel the
roads OF the county II for the county
to determine. Whether the township
sAall do this for the roads through the
township 10 for the township to de-
termine. Whether road districts shall
DO organized and the tax payers in
those districts vote upon the ques-
ton - to whether or not they wish
70 improve their roads, 10 for the PEG
pie in that district TO determine. All
I urge 10 that We have Z law which
Will enable the people Of . given dis
trict to have road II they desire It.
. law that will enable county to
have such roads 10 1t may desire In
The event the voters and tax payers
Of the county determine they wish an
improved road-a law that will enable
the tax payers Of any district, town
ship or county to determine how much
money they are going to pay during
: certain period al years to cut down
the hills and II they wish to borrow
this money, cut down the hills now,
and then pay on their borrowed mon.
o. IN installments 20 their taxes are
paid ina law that will enable the
Dsopls to anticipate the taxes they
NJ going to pay into the bridge fund
during . period Of years and 1srmas
them to borrow this and spend It for
bridges rather than fritte.
lt away year after year in repairs
! law that will permit districts. towsr
ships Or counties 70 anticipate Tie
nansy they will pay In for repairs On
or present mud roads and spend Il
Tor putting on = permanent surface
Il they desire. All these matters to
bs determined by the tax payer liv.
ing in the district TO be served By
the road.
No Disposition TO Force Good Roads.
There Is no. disposition to force
IN Improved road upon any commune
Ity that does not desire Il. am
perfectly willing the law should be SO
framed that it may be necessary to
tell the tax payers Just what the road
Will cost, Just what each mans share
will be and allow only those who will
have TO contribute to the cost OF the
road to vote as to whether they will
Dr. Will not have It.
There Is no wish to increase taxes,
but the whole proposition II . sugges-
ton that we spend only the money
We are already spending on our roads.
spend It to get the greatest value out
Of 1t and have the roads now rather
than many years in the future. In
other words, the proposition Is to
build the roads and use them now and
pay for them piece-meal over q period
Of years rather than to build them
and In the meantime not
have the benefit Of the roads.
Can you find In this any suggestion
that the tax payers Of Iowa should
be burdened with debt greater than
the war debt Of Europe? Can you
ind in this any suggestion that we
should have brick paved road
around every forty acres in the state
pf Iowa?
So far as I can see 1t, 1t is applying
10 the road problem which Is a COM
munity problem the same good bust
ness practice you apply when you buy
your farm, when you 80 in debt in
any way for Improvements that will
pay for themselves. such as silos.
draining your farms, etc It is the
application Of the same principle that
you follow in building your school
houses.
I am sure each OF you will agree
that this Is . sane, sensible method
81 handling the road problem and on
j basis that will not burden you or
your children with more taxes than
vou will pay under our present meth.
DDS. In fact, personally, ! do not be-
lieye that your taxes will be as great,
because you cut out to large extent
repairs and maintenance. In this
the cost Of maintaining .
yraveled road. to keep It In irst-class
and as good II not better
1t the end Of twenty years as at the
End Of the first year IL, figuring liber-
Ally, 500 per mile per year. We spent
In Iowa last year on our county road
system, not for permanent work, but
Tor maintenance and repairs SLAB
$4,000 or an average of $74.00 per
mile, ana what did we get for it? 1t
will cost US little more to maintain
sraveled roads than it does to main
tain our dirt roads and we have 800
L.. ,cod f~no Prom ro,,d instead IF