Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-02-10
Report Of the Better Roads Com
mittee to Governor Clarke.]

I'LL HNSpOTt OF une better ftOauS COn-
|IlH mittee to Governor Clarke.]
If}A CITING in accordance with APP
A pointpent and instructions
I'm from you under date Of Aug.
\. 1915. the undersigned respectfully
sport upon their investigation OF road
1 U|uilding in Iowa and in other states
! H. follows:
M Contrary to our expectations we are
PLEASED to report that there Is an
/ Vkbundance Of road surfacing material
lin this state suitable to its traffic con-
(llitions Most Of It 10 gravel. but ex-
tberience In Indiana, Wisconsin, Minne-
RSota aud New Hampshire has shown
What gravel properly placed will carry
4traffic on any OF our roads excepting
.possibiy within few miles OF cities
Rpf 5000 inhabitants or more and even
|lunder the heaviest traffic gravel sur
Hfacing is worth all 1t costs until a
Imore durable surface can be had.
XSixty-a nix counties In our state, as
lshown by the chart furnished US by
1.-The state highway commission, have
local material sufficient for their own
needs. Twenty-Five counties have q
surplus from which material can be
vshipped to the talirty-three counties
bIbwn,, ana we fnd that it has proved
iySracticable upon large contracts in
tkother states to ship gravel 100 miles
Elfor road work
N After careful Investigation Of the
tlcost of construction Of various types
Nof road surfacing in other states and
I:Swith the actual cost in many counties
|skbf our own state before US we can re-
with confidence that It is pos
[N,lble to surface all OF the main
|zsjIsayeled roads II all but a few OF our
Y sIunties without adding new tax levies
M our present public burden. pro-
led our laws will permit our people
|sA adopt the same efficient methods
giconstruction and the same pro rata
|W tnribution Of the cost over periods OF
X ievies as has proved desirable IN
& list Of the other states. 1T Is our con-
IL i,sion that we are now raising ROAD
lxes enough in this state for our
" Assent needs il we will but con-
nitrate our road funds upon more
}manent work. :.
l{ve are advised by the United
t.tes department Of public roads In
tcular IS under date of Oct. 2. 1915,
III every state in the union except
M IN four now has a larger per cent OF
iiF i highways surfaced than we have
! kIowa and yet our total tax burden
" roads and bridges is greater each
M than that Of any state. excepting
u "a. - Tin, for ell states il lib
n 4 e~ent Of all their roa!,' surfaced,
III Nile we have only per cent OF our
EEr Dis surfaced. Some states, such as
|. Piiana and Ohio, have surfaced 42.6
IL cent and 35.S per cent Of their
n yds, respectively. We are taxing
AEseIyes for enough to build better
AZ IDS II we would be willing to In
HI more OF it in permanent worF
q Vr state highway commission reports
the year 1915 that approximately
& hoe, 900 was spent in temporary
hsk, upon our roads and only $1,000
Min permanent work.
1hWe find from data in the office OF
y state highway commission that
Il X NV 7S5 miles Of the 1876 in the
ai..ntr road system have been put ITO
u )lirmanent grade within the past three
HAIRS, whereas the engineers rough
lkftimate shows that the entire county
Trad system OF this state could be pus
M permanent grade ready for surfacing
VIZ approximately $2l24b.OOO. which is
{stle more than the taxes We will spend
q tJJOu the county EOau HJoSCAA WSSAA sAV
h Haxtt ave, years. StI = III slsF
tflAfter deducting from the total mile
We the 8, $40 miles OF the county road
system which have been built to nat
i aIral grade, and assuming that the nat
aral grade is very close to perma-
hent grade, and making allowance for
lSoth temporary and permanent grade
lfsonstruction which has been done, it
appears that It has taken our counties
lhree years to do one-tWelfth OF the
Unnecessary grading on our county road
lsystem alone. At thfs rate of progress
1--we will be thirty-six years preparing
IRa road bed ready for surfacing on our
I,main roads and our townships have
[less money per mile for township road
Ywork than Is available for county
bwotk, hence the rate of progress in
Athe townships must necessarily be
slower. Such is the waste Of tempo
Frizing with one years tax money at a
Mime
Slow Progress at surfaeing.
In the matter Of surfacing our coun-
\ " road system we have accomplished