Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-01-09
Revje,Us Work of
Highway and Better
Roads Commissions
Special to Times Republican,.

Especial to Times Republican.
Des Moines. Jan. .. 4 In Governor
IClarke's recommendations on roads he
|says:
The public highway question has
Ibeen an urgent one for fifteen years, or
more. Every session of the Legislature
has dealt with it to some extent. The
law has grown better all the time ana
there has been constant Improvement
! il the roads, very rapid in the last four
or five years. The question will doubt
less receive consideration by you. l
see no reason why ii should not be APP
/ preached in the unanimous desire to
find and do the best thing for the prog
ress and good name of the state. Why
should such a question involve bitter
feeling 1t is unthinkable that any
enc could be found who does not hold
good roads to be very desirable and es-
s,ntial to the economic interests of the
| tate. 1t is simply question of meth
{ DIS All approaching the inestimahic
value Of a result. shall it fail of at
tainment because of an unseemly
Contention about ways and means? Es-
pecally should anything of this kind
! occur WIlell tlloJOuS any W ii'i' - p'o
posing to lay an added burden to the
extent of 81 upon anybody? Should
Ianything of this kind occur when the
law already fully provides means for
| financing all that is desired and hoped
| for in good roads" Should there be
any such result when the application
! Of business methods to the expenditure
! of funds would save their dissipation
! and secure them for permanent enjoy
! ment? Should there be any such re-
! suit when it seems clear that in those
communities of the state where the
people have gone ahead and bulit
roads. surfaced with gravel after ap-
proved plans. that lands have advanced
more rapidly in value, and especially
where the consolidated school has been
added. than in other parts of the state
where there has been opposition or re-
usal to advance" Should a conten-
ion about ways ami means result in
allure To 90 forward in the face of the
.stimony of 400 farmers in letters to
[ Re better roads commission OF the IN
creased value Of land anG other ad-
,vantageS where such roads as are pro
losed in Iowa have been built? Could
tlCre really hc left anything to contend
about when the roads themselves dem
Cnstratc tho wonderful improvement
under the highway commission, whcE
- coo permanent bridges and CuiNertS
speak with eternal voice in approval Il
methods. when an annual saving 10 the
people Of $i.000,G00 Is realized by the
commission ana when only by the re-
tentiOn OF il can the more than two
million dollars be secured from the
government and when the wisdom ana
efficiency Of the law is appealing to
other states as 4 model? Wherefore
seeing that we are Compasscd about
with so great cloud of witnesses
what manner OF persons ought we TO
be? Have not all movements of man
kind toward betterment been opposed?
Has not all progress cost something?
Is it not the settled conviction Of al!
men that il has been worth infinitely
more than itscoa p
No Indebtedness Proposed.
Nobody, so far as I know. has ever
at any time advocated a bonded in
of any amount to raise
money for road construction. What has
been suggested is that any county
should be allowed. at its option, to an
ticipate it's highway revenues, aireadN
prov lded for. by 'ssuing serial bonds
running over a bric: period OF wears
and using The money thus secured in
ccrnpreh ensive and economical sort OF
way in road construction. This il
could do and the economy OF II would
more thnn cover the interest outlay on
tho money This would be doing ausI-
ness In large way and realizing upon
it at once and not in Il 'gimlety' way
with corresponding results TINS
would be spending your money and
having something for it at once. This
: the way the business Of the world
has ever been don" by men Of energy
ard foresight and success. 1t is the
why that ever! county represented
here today has built bridges court
houses and school houses. 1t is the
way cities have been built. 1t is the
way the great business of this city,
and every other on earth. has been es-
tablished and developed. But for this
principle and method the great railway
systems Of this country would not have
been possible.
"A vast majority Of the farmers Of
Iowa I venture to say. acquired their
farms in whole or in part. by an an
ticipation Of revenues from them They
paid part down, mOrtgaged. or bonded,
them, in anticipation Of what they