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


SOAK up our grades, 80 the rolrrtI
plank In our good roads program will
be to have the roads we'll drained will
bitches at the side leading Init
streams or culyerts and carrying thu
surplus water away.
These are generally recognized al
fundamental propositions, but | wisl
to state them and get common con
sent to the program as we go along
Bridges Should BE Permanent struc
lures.
Another necessity that all will rec
ognize are bridges and culverts, ant
practically every farmer and tai
payer Of the state of Iowa will without
exception agree that these bridge:
and culverts should be permanent
structures, preferably concrete, tina
we may to very large extent cut on
repairs. It is in this item of repair!
and maintenance of temporary bridge!
that we put a large portion Of our tar
money. This is our big leak and W.
should stop 1t. It is not necessary t
urge upon Iowa tax payers that VIZ
build permanent bridges so am 60
ing to make plank number FIVE, "that
all bridges and culverts, so far as II
practical, should be of permanent con
struction. Such structures will last
for the next hundred years with prac
tically no repairs.
Now we come to the proposition o.
whether or not we shall have any
surfacing on this road upon which We
have cut down the hills, have graded
up the road bed, have drained It in
good shape and upon which we have
erected permanent bridges. take II
as a foregone conclusion that the tai
payers of Iowa will be glad to have
a graveled road bed If it would pay
them to have It, If it is enough to
make 1t good investment, just al
they put their money into silos, trac
tors, cream separators, etc. Millions
Of dollars are spent for these articles
because they pay. ! take it that if the
program have outlined with the sur
face graveled really does make a bet
ter road and yet costs no more, no
tax payer in Iowa will object to get
ting the better road for the same
money. No one here will object to
having road such as have describ'
ed with graveled surface from his
farm to town IL it costs him nothing
in other words does not increase his
taxes.
Granted all this. there are but two
propositions left:
First, Is the graveled graded road
and better than our present ungravel-
ed road? and,
Second, II so, how can we get the
better road without spending any
more money or without any increase
In taxes?
Are GraveIed Roads Better Than DIrt7
While the first proposition does not
permit of argument 1t being SO ap.
parent that the graveled road is at
least to some, extent better than the
dirt road, / wish to refer to few
concrete facts to support this. Let
us have the whole problem in mind
and the facts all before us.
A stretch Of road on the Lincoln
Highway near Nevada, Iowa, has been
improved with a reasonably hard,
graveled surface. Before improve
ment, 1t took LOG pounds average
draft to pull 4 load Of one ton over
this road. After the road was i'm
proved, 1t took IN average draft Of Is
lbs. TO pull the Same load IN the same
wagon over this road. In other
words only 70% % much power.
These figures are from the United
States Department Of public roads
which made i dynamometer test Of
that particular road. In other words,
the United States Government with
their instruments determined just
how much Of a pull It took to take .
load over this road.
The saving in this pulling power
was found to be 300 when the farm
ers used the harder surfaced road.
Now It is apparent If the largest
load farmer could haul over this
road before 1t was improved was 40
bushels, and II 1t took 300 less pow
or to pull the 40 bushel load after It
was improved, he could increase his
load when hauling over the improved
road. That is II 1919 Of his power
would pull 40 bushels 1000 or what
he expended on the old road to pull
40 bushels, would pull 81 bushels on
the improved road. He can now pull
81 bushels with the same team and
the same wagon he previously pulled
40 bushels. His hauling is done In
3O% less time and therefore gives
him 309s OF his time previously de.
voted to this work to devote to other
work. He saves 800 Of the wear and
tear on his horses. wagons. harness,
etc. II his time and service OF his
team and the wear and tear on the
wagon, harness. ETC., II worth 30
cents per load per mile-and the
United States Government says 1t 10
he would save approximately 10
cents per load per mile. Estimate the
number OF loads you take to town, the
loads you bring home of coal, lumber,
etc. Multiply this by 10 cents per
load saved on one mile, multiply this
by the miles you live from town and
figure for yourself what the better
road means to you in actual dollars
and cents. It is easily demonstrated
that in actual dollars and cents so
far as your own time is concerned,
and the wear and tear on your team,