Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-10-10
WINSLOW'S ROAD FIGURES.

| A subscriber and reader has re-
Quested of the travelling representative
| ct the Times Republican an answer to
an address delivered by J. S. Winslow,
Of Wright county, at a creamery picnic
| IN Marshall county in September.
Winslow invaded Marshall county to
ridicule the editor of the Times-Re-
publican on the road question. He had
his say and was permitted to depart
III peace SO far as this newspaper was
concerned. Nobody in the vicinity of
this picnic seemed disturbed by what
he said, but for the benefit of >the
reader who lives near BOWS the Times
Republican will explain
MIR. Winslow admitted in the figures
ne gave for Wright county that every
mile Of county road could be graveled
bends issued TO pay the contractors
and the bonds with their interest paid
off without any increase in present
road taxes. This is an acknowledge
ment Of what the Republican
has been saying for years.
He then launched into a sarcastic
SHINING of the T.-R editor for ad-
vccating paved roads and produced
figures Which would merely make
man smile who has on file in his office
official information as to costs in every
state in this union.
He took the cost Of a paved road
built for traffic between great cities in
New York and then added per cent
interest on bonds when New York's
state bonds sell at per cent and
county bonds in Iowa, even school dis
;rict bonds bring a premium at AZ
look prohibitive all right.
The Times-Republican does not ad-
vocate the paved road for any road ex-
cept in the vicinity Of large cities. so
what is the use figuring on what they
would cost in Wright county? The
state Engineer says that the present
highway commission would not ap-
prove of a paved road in Iowa except
in the vicinity of cities Of 5000 In
accordance with the best engineering
experience in other cities. The
graveled road costs less to build and
up to the turning point Of about 500
Or 500 vehicles per day its cost of
maintenance does not make the road
more expensive than paving in the
| long run. Above that traffic condition
a graveled road will ravel 50 fast that
| N a twenty-year period it will prove
| more expensive than a paved road.
| Either road we'll built will carry traffic
| IN wet weather.
winslow uses $50 as the cost per
! mile OF a paved road when the road
paved near Mason City cost but few
dollars over $4,000 per mile and the
paved road near Columbus Junction
cost less than $4,000 per mile for six
teen feet in width. Il roads were to be
paved in strictly rural districts they
should not be more than nine feet
wide with graveled shoulders and this
kind Of road has cost $500 per mile
near Winona, MINI.
The trouble with such road figuring
a. Mr.. winslow does is that he builds
his roads upon his pretudices- An en-
gineer, and strange as it might seem
tie Times Republican editor has hat
college training in elemental engineer
! ing would first ascertain the facts as tc
material available, traffic TO be car
red and local costs and then he would
design and build his road upon the
facts That is why we need local OPP
ton for each county to decide by vote
! the kind Of roads 1t will build and thai
la why we need expert engineers en-
ployed by the state to assist us in do
| ing technical work. Inasmuch as
/ Mr., Winslow is in favor of state en-.
gineers and local option and would
even stand for bonds for gravelet
roads there is little left for him ane
the T.-R. to quarrel about except a!
to costs and the T.-R- is willing Il
inn