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

Commission was established and lows
paid more in royalties alone than al
the expenses OF the Commission.
Another thing to take into constdr
eration is that the National Govern
ment has appropriated s5,O0O,000 for
state aid in 1916 and $4,000 in 1917
increasing each year and none of thtQ
money can be spent in states not havs
Ing a Highway Commission. If Iowa
wants her share she must have 9
Highway Commission. The govern.
ment wants to know the money is go.
ing to be spent under the supervision
Of some competent authority.
Due to the provision of the law re-
quiring that road grading must be ad.
vertised, the contract price Of such
work has been forced down to an
average Of 10 to 20 cents per cubic
yard whereas formerly such work
yard
Some i'll feeling has been engender.
ed against the Commission by local
officials laying the blame for delayed
work upon the Commission saying
the Commission would not permit tho
local officials to proceed with tho
work. In other words it offered AZ
easy excuse while the facts did NOT
always justify the assertion. The
next time such a claim is made just
write the Commission yourself and
see IL they are delaying the work.
In order that the county road sys4
tenn Of the several counties may COZ
meet up at their borders with othe4
counties, in order that mistakes made
In one county may be guarded against
IN other counties and the benefit %
improved methods developed by one
county passed on to other counties
there must be some general supeN
vision and this can only be done bS
the State-this is the work Of tho
Highway Commission. (.
hold no brief for the Highway
Commission. am talking about tn
law and the practical working OF Il
I have heard complaints about
dividuals, mistakes have no dou(@
been made, most OF u do occasfoulk
" make mistakes. II the prellh1
Commission is made up OF coppet44
men, we'll and sood-if not. the fA911
is with the present state adminfi8
ton. The law 10 new, diferons1o
were sure to arise. customs of long
standing were done fway with and
nsw order Of tMEs esteblish>
Much should be all6Hsd under the c1
cumstances. BUT viii c~t endorsia
the conduct Of the tSkh mission or q
membership. not beiAS intimately ~
quainted with the members or a9fV8
ties of the Commission, I beli9ye
careful study will convince anyone
not personally interested In doin4
this road work in his own sweet way
for his own private reasons that Will
proper attention on the part Of thu
governor appointing the commissio1
1t can render very valuable service
and I believe IN giving good thing
fair trial rather than opposing
Stop and think who FIRST prejudicS4
you against the Commission. WIZ
was he? When you stop to think
Il, was there not reason for his al
tagonism and is It not fact that ~
have no such personal reason - -
had to be opposed to the Highway
Commission law?
BY the way. Just what 10 your Oh
lection to the Commission? You hN
lieve in Home Rule, in letting the p1os
PIE who pay the money spend 1t, etcS
All right, so do I; and did you know
that
First, the Commission has no POW
err to raise funds, as this power LEE
entirely with the township trusteee
and county supervisors
Second, the Commission has nc
authority to expend funds. This 40
thority also lies with the to~nshiD
trustees and county supervisors
Third, the Commission has NO ~
thorty to dictate Wien expenditure
are to be made
Fourth, the Commission has no AZ
thoritt to dictate where expenditure
are to be made
Fifth, the Commission does have
authority to say how improvement
are to be made. That is, the Col&
mission has authority to fix the stand
ards Of construction for road and
bridge work. and that is all 1t DON
have authority to do and is 1t not 70
your interest and mine that someone
who knows should pass judgment %
how the work should be done? Not
20 bad after all.
Summing the matter up. then, M
position on the road question 10 thai
our hills and grades should be cuo
down, that our roads whore necessary
should be subdrained, that our road
beds should be graded to turn the
water, that the sides of the road(
should be ditched to carry on the En-
ira water, that permanent bridges
should be built to cut out the rspairQ
on our temporary bridges, that ou1
road beds should be graveled whore