Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1916-08-29

mileage with surfacing of gravel;
different types of construction being
in view from merely dumping gravel
to pack with gravel, to the trenched
and packed type of surface.
There are probably twenty points
in the state where considerable
stretches of county road will be oil
ed as an experiment. The Cedar-Fre-
mont road in Mahaska county, which
was oiled last season, has given many
road enthusiasts, confidence in oil as
a road maintenance features and
dust and mud preventative. Polk
county is oiling a six mile stretch of
slag-cinder road on the Des Moines-
Ankeny road, one Of the important
north and south cross state roads.
On strictly county road work last
year, Iowa spent total of $3,400,-
900. Nearly a million and a quar-
ter, went into permanent grading
and an equal amount in repairs and
maintenance, such as dragging. The
permanent grading totalled 464.7
miles. Tractors and blade graders
shaped up approximately 1900 miles
and a total of 1S2 miles of various
kinds Of hard surfacing, chiefly
gravel was put down. The township
roads had spent on them by township
officials chiefly in dragging and a
more or less temporary type of con-
struction, a sum just a little larger
than was spent on the county road
system, or S3,50O,O00. When it is
considered that there are but 10000
miles of county roads, compared
with approximately $4,000 miles of
township roads, it can readily be,
seen why county roads should be in
better condition than township
roads.
Iowa has the second largest road
mileage of any state in the Union;
100000 miles being exceeded by
Texas with 12S,O0O, Missouri with
100000. She is about twenty-sev-
enth in point of improved mileage.
On expenditure for roads and bridges,
she is reported to head the list.
There is this to be said for her, how
ever, in answer to these charges; in
her total expenditures, she reports
absolutely every dollar spent for
roads and bridges and her figures are
mighty near correct. There are
pretty strong suspicious that reports
in other states fall far short Of act
ual totals of all expenditures. Then
besides, Iowa has tremendous miles
of roads compared with all other
states except the two. The soil in
Iowa is of SO even quality and the
such, that nearly every
quarter section in the state is tillable
and must have more or less i'm
proved road leading to it. This
means that the total mileage to be
kept in passable condition is mighty
near the grand total of 104 900. 1t
is absolutely certain that no other
state in the Union has so large to-
tai mileage on which money must be
spent. This accounts for a huge ex-
penditure, not leading to any greater
of more highly improved
roads. Impatient good roads boost
ers may accuse Iowa of being spend
thrift with her road money, of vast
ing it in many ways and of making
a poor showing for such grand to-
tai. The accusations are absolutely
unjust. Iowa is doing mighty well
with her road money. Her present
road law is a dirt road. 1t provides
for no other type of construction.
AS matter of fact, under it, she
is developing the best dirt roads in
the world.
1t is very we'll too that Iowa start
ed with dirt road for no matter
what kind of improved surface is put
down latter, the dirt road is the
on which such surfacing
must be put down. With grading and
already making a splendid
showing, Iowa is really getting
ready, and in fact is now ready, for
the next stage, which is surfacing.
If the legislature provides means
for financing surfacing propositions,
and this means chiefly gravelling,
Iowa has the dirt road foundation
ready and she will make the gravel
fly getting it where it ought to be.
Iowa bridges are the best in the
Union. This is the opinion of fed
eral engineers who know the COM
parative value of the bridge and cul-
vert work in all the states. Iowa
spent over 100000 on culyerts
and bridges last season and will
spend as much or more this season.
Many counties have almost all the
bridges and culverts on the county
road system, of concrete or steel.
When it is considered that this work
has really only been underway for