Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-04-20
Special to Times Republican.

| counties of Iowa are due 10 commence
receiving the $2,ls2. 600 cooperative
road fund from the federal government
/ The money is not to be used for max
ms military roads. coming as II does
along with the preparations for war II
many other directions, but Is to be
| spent by the United States to demon
strate in each county OF the state what
a real road is.
| Chief Engineer Thomas Macdonald
of the Iowa highway commission, said
toda. that the TWO millions and a
, quarter Will serve mostly as an educa~
tional fund, providing some we'll built
roads IN every county as model and
an encouragement for the good roads
| movement.
Il the people of county have the
roads which a national weekly writer
| referred to in story OF Pull Iowa
| Out OF the Mud" these few miles OF
/ government built highways will per-
/ form an exemplar service for the good
roads cause.
| Stimulus For Better Roads.
( The government money Will be spent
over q period Of i've years. Il really
/ doesn't amount TO much as a lump sun
wlcn il is compared with the round
/ $4,000 600 which the state has been
! spending annually for road improve
ment and work which really has been
! non i'm pruvelnent. but 1t Will furnish
a stimulus for the better road idea
| and an example for properly spending
! the s. 600 o0o--a dollars worth Of reaI
road Improvement Tor every dollar
spent
How much road can each county
build with its share ut the United
States fund? Where the designated
mileage Is all ready for gravel. the
county can MAKE ABOUT fifteen miles,
! that is If the gravel is available. Where
the mileage Is not even put to grade.
twenty miles or more may De put in
| condition for the surface.
Commission Planning Work.
| The .ive-year period already IS un-
der way. The act making the federal
| appropriation went into effect July /
and Iowa is on the first year and wait
! ing for opening OF the summer weather.
| The state commission is making plans
| for the work. The federal office OF
roads must approve the work done, but
the approval given by the state com
mission very probably will be accepted
In Washington without question.
Under the federal cooperative" road
| plan, the boards OF supervisors of the
counties shall select the mileage. not
| less than 1000 and not more than 5000
miles. Selection in each county shall
| be equal 20 approximately one-th:rd
| of the county road system, in the sam
manner as the selection OF the original
county road system. Only the most
| important roads and those which Will
| ft into comprehensive system of high
ways for the whole state shall be Sc
! iected.
| Connections Between County Seats.
Special attention shall be given to
| connections between county seats and
connecting the federal cooperative
road systems OF adjacent counties. Pre-
| liTrinary selection shall be made and
! hearing held. as In other road mat
tiers. not later than June !. 1917.
As soon as maps, petitions. pats and
records Of boards OF supervisors. show
| ing designations OF these county sys-
| tens are received b. the commission
the commission VIII proceed to ex-
anime and pass upon such systems. II
approved. an official map Of the county
system will be supplied 10 each coun-
IS auditor The board OF supervisor
will then make application to the state
| highway commission for the county's
| apportionment OF the federal fund. Thi!
| application must be accompanied by z
definite statement Of what portion the
county system 1t is desired to Improve
the nature Of the contemplated i'm
provcmeni.
One Project in Each County.
Only one project will be considered
from each county. This project should
be large enough to require the coun'
tvs entire allotment Of the federal
fund for the entire fve-year period
A project consisting OF several dlscon
nected pieces Of road will not be APP
proved except where the disconnected
portions are separated by an incorpor
ated city or town. Projects should star
out from, or radiate from, the mos
| important tOWHs OF lNe county Ol
should start at the county line and ex'
tend continuously as far as funds vii
permit
The improvements must be substan-
tial in character. The specification!
of the state commission must be fol
lowed Where surfacins Is contem
plated, the petition must state speci.
fically what type Of surface Is to b'
used. Necessary bridges and culvert:
shall be built by the county out o
county bridge money or county moto
fund,
State Treasurer Handles Fund.
Before contracts may be let for thu
work the commit ssion will send plan
to the government office for accept
ance The state commission and prob
ably federal bureau will be represented
at the lettings.
The s2,192,060 will be handled thru
the treasurer of state. The county au
ditor will make payments on bills prop
erly passed by the board Of super
yisors.
Each county will receive approx
rnately $4,000. Engineer Macdonald be
lieves. The county board may hard
surface, II desirable and the traffi
justifes, especially around the cite
Of considerable size.
Quick Relief From Colds.
II have found Chamberlain Coup