Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-04-02
GIVES HIS VIEWS
ON ROAD Blk
A o. Flaskerud, of Calmar, Writes
an Answer to County Engineer
Arnes0n's Article ON IOwa's
Proposed New Road
TALKS ON SUBJECT
HARD SURFACED ROADS
Gives His Figures Showing What the
Actual Cost Would Be. Is an
Immense Sum, Moro Than
Appears on Face Of
Proposition

Appears on Face Of
Proposition
Editor Public Opinion,
Dear Sir:-I have read the ar
ticle written by our County Engin-
eer appearing in the Public Opinion
under date Of March 10th on Iowa
Proposed New Road Bill" with con-
siderable interest. And as taxpayer
In this county / feel it my duty to
take up the matter and reply to it II
no one more able than I will do so.
No doubt many will read this article
without giving it much thought and
conclude with feeling that hard
surfaced roads will not cost us near
as much as have had the impress
sion it would. 1t does sound good
and fiowery as many campaign
speeches and writings do, but how
about results? Let's look into it, and
see if there is any camoufiage in it.
He says that the Federal Govern
ment has set aside $4,000. 900 for
use in 1919 of which Iowa will get
$2,000,000, IL Iowa will put up an
other $2,000,0OO. He says, ''The
question is, does Iowa want the $2,-
100000 which will be given them for
good roads by the government? II
Iowa doesn't it will be given to
some other state that does" Now,
] suppose our engineer feels, and
wishes every body else to regard
this scheme to be, just like Bill
getting money from dad. And that
Bin might as we'll accept It for II
Ne does not. dsd swfif give : Il to
brother John? S4Ne would agree with
him in this provided Bill had left
home and never done anything to
assist brother John and dad to make
rthe $2,000,O00. But this is not the
case. Bill and John have both been
Industrious and together they have
earned the $2.OO0,0O0 for each Of
them. and dad has only supervised
the collection OF the proceeds of the
work and is now directing the ex-
penditure of said collections. In
short, our Federal Government is
saying to the states, If you will tax
your citizens after your own fashion
and raise say, $2,000,000, we will
pay back to you $2,00O,00O which
we have taken from you by indi-
rect taxes, all of which you must ex-
pend in constructing hard surfaced
roads in your state. If you do not
meet us with an equal amount of
money, what you have furnished us
through indirect taxes will be given
to some other state and you will not
have any hard surfaced roads. This
Is some of the camouflage INDUCED
In by the writer of the article re-
ferred to, though probably. done
very innocently, 'or other writer's OF
more renown have used the same
argument. have not heard such
arguments made by men who would
be compelled to assist in raising the
funds necessary and whose gain
would be only the increased value Of
the property in the community
where the roads were constructed.
But such arguments are used by
engineers who expect to be employ
ed at good wages in laying out the
roads to be hard surfaced. and by
men who have road machinery and
road material to sell. There are two
other interests who advocate hard
!, surfaced roads. the parties who have
automobiles for sale. especially auto
trucks, and the dealers in bonds.
He says that the proposed bill be-
fore the legislature provides for
raising the $2.000,000 necessary I'd
meet the Federal appropriation. II
is to be. done by levying a heavy. tax
on auto trucks and Increasing cost
of auto licenses, and in other ways.
The money to be used on net work
\ OF roads running north and south,
and east and west, connecting coun-
ty seats. which will comprise about
!. 5000 miles of road. This means on
y an average of about so miles to a
county. And he says: "The roads are
to be built to grade and standard
cross section and will be either
gravel or macadam. or paved with
brick or concrete" "The cost OF
construction will be met as above,
which will be 76 per, cent of the
cost. The remaining 25 per cent will
he assessed to the owners OF the
land along which the road will be
Continued on page 8