The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-03-04
KEOKUk INTEREST
IS IN GOOD ROADS
What the Iowa Legislature VIII Do Is
Guesswork, in the Opinion OF
People Here Who Are Watch
ing II in Action.
BILL OF THE COMMITTEE
IT Provides for a Primary and Sec
ondary System of Roads in the
State, the Former to Be
Hard Surfaced.

in good roads legislation for Iowa.
but it finds little to really encourage |
It, according to street talk.
Whether the good road legisla-
ton for Iowa will amount to any
thing in the present legislature Is
som ething anybody can guess about,
and the more familiar one is with
the Iowa legislatures, the more
guessing he will do" said Keokuk
motorist today.
There was no chance to get BIN
through modelled on the Illinois
PLAN" said Senator Thompson to the
BURLINGTON HawkEye, "and several
Of Us who had bills Of this nature |
were convinced that they never
would get out OF committee and do |
ctded not to introduce them Repre- |
sentative Nebiker. however. intro |
duoed his In the face of the fact that |
lie had no chance to get through"
Tho Nebiker bill will be remem-
bered here as the freak which ended
q state highway from the Minnesota
lime at Franklin, miles from any
other hard road or automobile route.
| Tho Present Plan Worked Out.
A Joint committee Of the Iowa
house and senate to draft good
roads law seems to have really done
some work It issues its ideas In q
statement as follows:
| After separate meetings OF the
senate and house road committees,
followed by joint meetings of the two
commi tees, at all of which there
was full and free discussion of the
question Of road legislation, each
chairman was directed to name six
Of joint subcommittee Of twelve, In
Guiding the chairman, to formulate
bill for submission to the committees
of the senate and the house for con-
sideration- The joint subcommittee
has been working steadily on the bill
in the light Of the general expression
LOT opinion at the meetings preceding
their appointment, and in the light
of many suggestions from Individual
members and OF sundry bills that
have been introduced
The legislation Is Of vital moment,
the problems involved arc intricate
and the labor OF preparation is diff
cult and requires time and great
care. The committee hopes to COM
lplete bill that will, when the work
| Is done and without q state bond
issue, provide for primary road
system of intercounty hard-surfaced
roads, about six thousand miles in
extent, same to be paid for from
federal aid funds, motor vehicle funds
and special assessment benefits; and
| to make provisions also for develop
ment of the secondary systems.
What Primary System 10.
| The primary system Of six thou
Oh
third of the present county road sys-
tenn, and will release the remaining
two-thirds thereof, to be known here
after as the county road system.
from the expense of development Of
the primary system. All existing
road taxes would thus remain exclu-
stvely for the secondary roads, to-
gether with whatever additional taxes
or additional machinery for develop
ment Of the secondary roads the
Legislature may deem wise.
As to the federal aid, the amount
now available during the coming two
years is about s4,000,000 under the
present law. In addition to this, II
1.-THE house passes the bill that recent
Ily passed the senate for additional
federal aid, Iowa's share Of such ad-
iditfonal funds will be about $3.50 900
distributed over the next three years.
Synopsis Of Their Bill.
The following is synopsis Of
the sundry features of the proposed
bill as it is being worked out:
1. To create a system of substan-
tial and durable highway improve
Iments for each county, coordinate
same with requirements Of federal
government, secure the benefit OF
present and future federal aid acts
and pledge the state to meet same.
2. To divide the highways Of the
state into a primary system and
secondary system, the primary sys'
tenn embracing about six thousand
miles) to consist Of the main market
roads which connect all country seat
towns and cities and main market
centers, being the intercounty sys.
tenn already designated under the
federal aid act. and to which all fed
eral aid is expressly limited.
8. To provide for the grading and
draining Of said primary system by
- each county from funds derived
wholly from motor vehicles and fed
Ieral aid, and to provide for the hard
Isurfacing thereof, such hard-surfac
ling to be paid seyenty-flve percen
from the motor vehicles and fedora
aid fund, and twenty-five percen
from special assesscents on abuttint
and adjacent property within zonei
benefited.
4. To create primary road funt
for the development of the primar,
road system consisting of:
(a) Federal aid funds alread.
available.
(b) Federal funds hereafter ar
! Ipropriated.
J tc) Receipts from motor vehicles