Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-07-12
LOCAL COMMENT


now, and Monday night will show
whether there has been enough IN
terest manifested by those who want
TO say goodbye to mud to carry the
project and put Marshall In the roll
of progressive Iowa counties which
know a good thing when they see H.
Some people from this city recently
made q trip to Minnesota by auto
mobile. They were informed when
they left Marshalltown that, as soon as
they got out Of Iowa, they need not
worry because OF the roads, TINS
proved true in the main, for from
Marshalltown north to Mason City, II
was ruts or mud, depending upon
how recently rain had fallen. North
of Mason City the roads began TO I'M
prove. because the roads are gravelea'
In Minnesota the highways are
graveled and this particular motoring
party followed rain all the way ana
still lost no time except where
detouring became necessary because
the main highways were being worked
One may ask why were the Minneso-
ia graveled highways being worked!
The answer is a point which has a
bearing on our election Monday. They
are getting ready to pave In Minneso-
ia. With roads in Minnesota now SO
much better than Iowa roads that the
two can not be compared, Minnesota
is getting ready to pave 5000 miles OK
primary road system. In other words
even good sraveled roads are not good
enough for Minnesota She wants the
government and state automobile tax
aid for pavement, and Is going to take
the first opportunity to get 1t.
: Despite all that has been said IN
these columns on the subject OF good
roads, one finds very often the oo1ec-
ton to the tax that will be levied
upon property if the vote to pave car
ries. Please get rid Of this notion, for
it is q notion pure and simple. There
will be no tax on general property OF
the county by accepting the aid or
Uncle Sam to pave our primary road
system. The only ones who wiz be
compelled to pay one-fourth of the
cost will be those who own farm land
On W iA4S ASS~-' '@A4f-
It is the same plan by which streets
in cities are paved, excepting Ftha1
there is no government aid 10 pave
city streets, and for theNhighway pay
ing the assessment Is spread over ten
years instead of seven. |as for paving
in town. We win have TO continue
paying our automobile taxes and our
income taxes. regardless of whether We
get some of it back for the benefit or
our roads Is it not sensible, then, to
try and get some Of it back when we
can. -,
The eyes Of many Iowa counties Will
be on Marshall, county Monday. They
are greedy. eyes, too. for the Iowa
counties which already have voted to
dip into Uncle Sans pocketbook Will
be perfectly willing to say: Give US
Marshall county's share; wen match
it." in the event Marshall county elects
to remain in the mud. To those who.
for years, have bemoaned the fact that
Waterloo and Mason City have out
distanced MarshaIltown in size. when,
twenty years ago, Marshalltown was
larger than either Of these two cities,
there is opportunity Monday to reg
ister vote which will aid Marshall
town IN maintaining her standing In
the list Of progressive Iowa cities. and
place her in the same class, as far as
financial aid for road improvement IS
concerned, as Mason City and water
loo. But II we fail to take advantage
of the offer of nation and state to pay
the big end OF permanent improve
ment to our roads, We must be con-
tent to sit idly by for two years more
and watch Waterloo, Mason City, Ced- |
ar Rapids, Davenport, and other Iowa
cities go ahead with their paved roads,
using our money, which we might
have had just as well as not, had we
had enough foresight to realize the
generosity of the offer.
There are enough people. in Marshall
county who want paved roads to carry
the project if they get out and vote.
The danger in this election is like all
other elections where some important
issue is at stake; the ones opposed will
be on hand at the polls; those who
want paved roads will let the issue go
by default and awaken the next morn
ing to find that the project lost by
their failure to vote Let this not be
the case Monday. Let every man who
has enough pride in his community
to desire all that can be done to i'm
prove his home town and county, get
out and vote. He can rest assured that
the ones who are opposed to road i'm
proyement will be on hand.