Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-01-06
MEMBER OF IOWA COMMISSION
OUTLINES METHODS TO IN.
PROVE HIGHWAYS.
ADDITIONAL TAXES
ARE NOT NECESSARY
Would Use Automobile Fund as Neu.
elsus For. Permanent System of Hard.
Surfaced Roads - Steps to Secure
states Portion Of Federal Aid Urged
n n. ~ ould, Use Convict Labor.

Des Moines, Jan. 6.SAowa can have
Ma reasonably well improved system of
highways built from present resources
Without any additional taxes and
without bond issue Of any sort or
! character.
James c. Davis, Of the better roads
(commission, is authority for the above
REtatement and has qualified it in a
Hbooklet in which he advances plan
|kfor securing state and federal aid.
N why not let the automobile owners
make the main contribution toward the
Of these highways!
Ylqusries Davis. The increased and
|1multpiied use Of motor vehicles is the
u principai cause of the demand for inn
NJ. owed highways that can be used 365
Hays a year.
' 1T is fair to say that auto licenses
"a. sued in 1917 will exceed 100000. and
Nthe general revenue derived from this
source will undoubtedly exceed $1,000
16e0. This fund could easily be raised
to $3,O00,OO0 by making some reason
liable increases in the amount of the
1|license fee.
II y. S. Will Help, Too.
In addition to this source of rev
Nenue, the state of Iowa, ii it complies
with the provision of the act of con
gress, will receive from the federal
lgovernment4 an annual and increasing
70 the good road" fund.
4 beginning with an appropriation of
S146, 200 for the year 1917, this fund
Will increase during a period Of five
VI ~ he al mr. in
htrom Uncle Sam for the year 1921
Iowa, under this act Of congress, for
good roads purposes, Of $2,l93,OOO.
How to Do It.
ITO secure this, however, Iowa must
accept the provision Of the act ~ leg
islatlye enactment have state high
way commission or state highway de-
lartment; have a definite. compreh IN
sive and practicable plan of road i'm
prGyement covering a iive-year period;
such plan as the state may adopt
must be submitted for the approval of
| the secretary of agriculture; there
must be an agreement between the
IsecretarX of agriculture and the state
thigh way commission as to the charac-
tier of the nroposed road construction;
| the work must be done, as provided by
/ the state laws, under the &upervisi>sf
5of the state highway commission; the
state must adopt reasonable plan
4 for the maintenance of roads receiv-
ling federal aid
n Mr.. Davis says Iowa, to get her share
'131f the ss5.000,000 recently appropriated
Vbs the federal government, which will
|hggregate over two million dollars,
Unjust adopt legislative measures incor-
operating some definite plan Of road i'm
kprovement covering the next five years.
Suggests Prison Labor.
A discriminating and practical use Of
kprison labor for Iowa, either thru ac-
tual work on the highways or employ
Enent in producing material. could be
timade an essential element in the en-
4terprise, according to Mr.. Davis.
In concluding, Mr. Davis says:
II the county road system of Iowa
Pkyas divided into three sections of 5000
l1niles each, putting the most important
land most travelled roads in Section A,