Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-12-12
HAS Government
PLANS FOR ROAD?
WAR DEPARTMENT MAKES SIG
NrFicANT INQUIRIES REGARD
ING LINCOLN HIGHWAY
ROAD CONFERENCE HERE
MAY ,DEvELo or RESULTS
Lincoln Highway Has Been Designated
by Highway Commission az Able to
Carry Ten Ton Traffie-Government
Asks for Report on Condition of
Road-counties Report at Conference

eIal SoNeItAuSul pIepsLlHS " estopiisi'
a military road on the Lincoln highway
and with federal money make It a per-
manent hard surfaced road? Such may
be the intention of the government as
developed from different sources at the
conference OF supervisors. engineers
and consuls Of the highway, held at the
Marshalltown Club Tuesday afternoon.
That the federal government may be
making plans to make q military road
out of the Lincoln highway Is n fair
deduction to make from information
that came from the state highway
commission and the state council Of
defense.
Asks for Report on Road.
G. Coykendall, district engineer OF the
highway commission. reported to tho
conference that the war department.
had asked the state highway commits
sion to designate an east and west
road that would carry ten-ton traffic,
The commission had replied by desig-
mating the Lincoln highway as the
best east and west road and that It
was partly hard surfaced and bridged
practically all the way to carry Fifteen
ton traffic.
Lafayette Young, Of Des Moines,
chairman Of the state council OF de-
Tense, said that he had been ordered
by the war department to attend tho
meeting and furnish the department q
reropt Of the proceedings.
These hints may mean that the fed
5eral government Is getting complies
report Of the road, and that 1t may
preparation to build the road to carry
military traffic.
Little Gravel on Road.
More or less detailed reports Of the
condition Of the road In twelve Of the
thirteen counties thru which 1t runs
were made by supervisors and engi-
neers. These reports show that the
highway clear thru the state Is prac-
tically all bridged with permanent
bridges, except in few counties. Sew.
eral Of the counties have part or all Of
the road permanently graded. but only
three have any gravel on the roan.
Two. Story and Greene, have the road
practically all graDeled. One other.
Cedar. has some crawling done. Boone.
Marshall, Tama, and Linn have plans
to hard surface the road in those coun-
ties, depending In some cases on the
conditions under which federal aid can
be secured,
In all Of the counties except those
two where the highway Is graveled 1t
Is the same earth road. which next
spring would be impossible for ten-ton
trucks.
Really encouraging progress was re-
ported from such progressive counties
in road building as Story and Greene.
In Greene county the highway is prac-
tically all graded and graveled and in
very good condition.
In Story county it Is all graded and
grayeled and bridged and all but two
Of the grade railroad crossings have
been eliminated. Is
Boone county reported that 1t .ex-
pected to gravel the whole highway
next year. Marshall county is figuring
on crawling with federal aid money
and Tama expects to do likewise with
federal aid.
A very ambitious program has been
movement Is under way for road bud
get Of $3.50. 900. OF this sum the Com
mercial Club Of Cedar Rapids is to
raise 100000. the county's money to
be used with federal aid Of $56.000.
Cedar county reported ten and one.
half miles graded and seven miles
graveled.
All the other counties reported paAt
of the highway, or none Of It, graded,
but none OF them had spread any
gravel.
Urged as National Defense.
Doubtless as an evidence of patriot
ism and Intentions of the counties
along the highway, a resolution was
adopted p!edging the utmost financial
support to improving, dragging, and
maintaining the highway. I'VE COM
mend" read the resolution, ito the
state highway commission the advis-
ability OF giving particular attention to
way thru federal and state aid to the
end that it be maintained in the high
est possible state of efficiency r as a
means of national defense
g. w. Buch, chairman of the board
Of supervisors OF Benton county, and
O. c. Burroughs, of Belle PLANE, were
chosen chairman and secretary respect
lively. It was at a meeting Of the sup
ervtsors Of Tama, Benton and Linn
counties that the idea Of holding this
conference was formed.
Young Principal Speaker.
! Mr.. Young was the principal speak
er. He repeated the request of the
federal government. made some time
ago, that the highway be kept in the
best possible condition for the use OF
military traffic in case it were needed.
He especially recommended dragging,
He closed with an address on patriot
ism, and told some Of his experiences
in Europe during the early years of
the war.
Others who spoke briefly were Farley
Sheldon, Ames; w, F. Coan, of Clin-
ton. state consul for the highway as
ISOLATION; and D. w. Norris, of this
city. President r. w. Scott, of the
Marshalltown Club, welcomed the Wis
jtors, of whom there were nearly fifty
ADJUSTMENTS.
At the Casino.
Mabel Taliaferro in Draft 1885," a
patriotic photoplay being shown at the
Casino, is pictorial review OF tho
great events in the nations history. Il
dramatizes the present situation If
America when foreign propagania