Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-10-06

ober II, 1908, at the postoffice. Ottum
"a, Iowa, under the Act OF Congress
March 3. 1879.
Foreign representatives.: Cone Lor
enzen q Woodman. Mallers Building
Chicago: 225 Fifth Ave-. New Yorl
City: Gumbel Bldg. Kansas City. MO.
WHAT KIND or GOOD RoAD7
Nearly every man IN Iowa believer
IN good roads. It ID safe to assume
that there il no voter OF average IN
telligence and in his right mind. wnt
would defend bad roads. But "goot
roads" do not mean the same thinl
to an people and therein lies the dit
Z ference which causes one faction t.
believe that another faction does no.
stand for good roads.
The advocate of dirt roads believes
In good dirt roads. He probably car
point out dirt roads that are good.
The advocate Of graveled roads be
lieves in good graveled roads. He
wouldn't be In favor of graveled road
II IL were not good road.
The advocate OF paved roads be
lieves in good roads. He would com
plain quickly IL 4 paved road were per
mitted to fall into poor repair, with
numerous holes and bad places.
About the only difference between
the various factions 10 the adjective
which goes with the good roads
The Courier 10 an advocate OF good
roads. It believes that the state and
the county onicials should 30 manage
,as to ret the greatest number Of miles
a. <hn
now available. 1t does not believe
that the time Is ripe for paved roads
The cost Of paving all roads would
be prohibitive; the good that would
result from paving few would moi
justify the cost.
The Courier Is not very enthusiastic
over the graveled road proposition
Grayeled roads are practicable where
gravel abounds but Iowa's wonderful
black soil contains very little gravel
Shipping in the gravel from other
states would make graveled roads
very expensive proposition In Iowa
The particular kind Of good roads
that The Courier does believe In and
IL willing to advocate. IL Q graded
crowned. dragged, and we'll oiled road
Oiled roads are past the experiment.
NJ stage. Oiled roads require no heavy
outlay Of taxes. The maintenance OF
an oiled road 10 no more expensive
than the maintenance Of . graveled
or 4 paved road-after the first two
years or so.
Advocates Of paved roads generally
admit that In twenty years, paved
road would have to be rebuilt That
means the original investment\is gone.
Likewise, the interest on the invest
ment would have been spent.
After twenty years Of oiling, . dirt
road would come much nearer being
''permanent" than would any paved
road that could be built. Further
more, the cost of oiling would be no
greater than the interest charges on
the paved road and the entire principal
would be saved the taxpayers.
Iowa should be In no hurry about
this much talked Of building Of per
manent roads" Expensive paving
that is put down in the city-far more
costly and Of better workmanship than
would be the case in the country
has not proved permanent City paw
ing IL more expensive because 1t is
wider, thereby distributing traflic bet.
ter. and 1t has heavier and more ex.
pensive foundation and curbings.j Most
paving in the country Is lacking In the
protection afforded BY curb. Des-
bite the pains taken with city paving
much OF 1t has. given way in q very
few years. It would be grave. error
to Issue bonds anticipating the road
tax for the next twenty years and then
fnd that the road which the money
built. was worthless at the end of ten
I0agO. It would be ten years before
ne road tax would again be avail
able.
The Courier believes that Iowa
should busy itself with grading its
roads: with getting the hills cut down
and the low places built up with q
view to real permanency. Paved or
graveled roads built before that Is
done. would not be permanent in any
event. While the grading and chang.
ing Of roads is In progress. the high
ways can be kept passable at all
times and in good condition most Of
the time by comparatively inexpen-
sive oil treatments. But when the
grading is all done and the roads are
where they are to- be permanently
the road beds will be worth while,
whether for continued oiling or the
most modern form Of paving. And
there would be no original large In.
vestment to kiss good bye.
After all It is simply . question OF
getting good roads between the pro
Queer and the consumer.
Which are you for?
"STRoNcER THAN HIS PARITY"
The defeat Of President Wilson's
candidate for the senate and the re-
nomination Of Senator James MARITIME
in the New Jersey primaries is the
severest blow the popular democratic
fallacy that President Wilson is
stronger than his party" has thus far
rncaiund Senator Martinez elect inn