The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1917-01-11
THE GOOD ROADS COMMISSIONS
REPORT.

l i
ed to critlcise the report of the bet
ter roads commission because i
points out that Iowa has an abun
dance of surfacing material instea(
of placing particular stress upon tn,
need of better roads. The Register
explains that if we had no surfacint
material in the state the need fol
goes on to say in part:
This notion that gravel solves the
whole road problem is not worth go
| ing further with, for gravel is only
a substitute road material at best
while at poorest it is hardly better
than dirt. In wet time any sort OF
gravel road is accepta BILE. But in a
dry time no road; will tax the pa
thence of the traveller quite SO severe
ly as humpy gravel road. Nor is it
worth while to go further with the
notion that dragged dirt road is the
best Iowa can consider. A dragged
dirt road is much better than an un-
dragged dirt road, but when that is
said everything has been said for the
The good roads commission ap-
pointed by the governor has a plain
recognition of the need of better
roads in Iowa. Its Office was not to
argue the need but to cast about for
the means and the manner in which
Iowa roads might be improved and
its main routes of travel between
cities and between farms and mar
kets might be made good all the year
sible. And the commission appears
to have done precisely what it was
created to do-studied the road
problem OF Iowa from an Iowa stand
point and made recommendation
that may be, Immediately acted upon
by the legislature to advantage and
with approval Of a very considerable
part OF those who are to pay for the
improvements
The commission has shown that
good roads may be made in this
state and at once without raising the
rate Of taxation.
In short the commission has
brought working and workable
recommendations to the legislature
which is all that was expected of it,
d,a1 !, need OF good roads is one gen
business was to offer information as
to how such roads can be had at
least cost and as soon as possible.
It is now up to the legislature to af-
t9Ed those who desire good loads
and want to make them, permission
and opportunity to build the kind of
surfaced road they shall choose to
build.
1t is idle to argue that a gravel
road is not>a good road. It is a good
road in Iowa. The question Of its
permanency is question of the
amount of travel which passes over
It and the way tits made. We can
nave gravel roads at once. Why not
give, the counties and districts the !
privilege to vote their own road mon
t the assembly does so much there
viii be vast quantities of gravel laid |
IN Iowa roads but there will be little
concrete.
What then? The gravel road will
'e worth the money it cost. 1t will
lave been graded and drained and
for any surface. If, as will |
)e the case under the heaviest of
lance of gravel road exceeds the
Expense of harder and more dur
bile road common sense and expert
nee will do the rest. If there is
my one thing that will convince
hose who use the roads and pay for
of the need of a good
Ill the year round road it is to have
! good road and be forced back to
lad one when it wears out. Com
nunities are not different from indi-
'iduals. Given a convenience and
he habitual use of it they never go
Jack to an inconvenience. The man
Who has had an automobile never
'oes back to six miles an hour. And
,e never buys a worse automobile
han the one he began with.
The commission did we'll, very
veil. 1t is to it's credit that it pre-
ented the legislature with a general
Ian of what may be done and how
may be done, instead of expanding
ime and argument upon question
lready decided.-Marshall W n