Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-05-28
Senator HOldoegel Declares Better
Highways viii Keep Pace With
Public
DESCRIBES AUTO TAX LAW
AS ONE HAVING TEETH
Calhoun Legislator Relates Pointed
Story illustrating Increase i'm
Farm Values and Describ-
eS Davidson Bill Pro.
yiding War Me-
MORALS

as public sentiment will furnish sup
port for. Recent acts passed by the
Iowa Legislature which were eX-
planned by Senator Holdoegel of CAL
houn county, at luncheon of
manufacturers, jobbers and retail
ers, in Webster City last week, put
the future of superior highways
squarely up to public sentiment.
Rests on Public Opinion.
The senator is one of the staunch-
est advocates of improved roads in
Iowa and has been ON record for
years to that effect. But he does not
believe in travelling faster than is
certain to have the sanction of the
majority of sentiment Public opin-
ion regarding highways is in the
making. Already it favors drained,
graded and graveled roads. 1t may
want paved roads and no doubt in
the near future but for a legislature
to compel paved country roads at
this time would be to cause a re-
action of feeling which probably
would be followed by later changes
in the personnel Of the legislature
so that the next assembly might have
majority of complete reactionaries.
Two Glasses of Roads.
Under the new law the roads are di-
vided into two classes, primary and
secondary. The primary roads are
those in the country highway systems
which connect the various towns.
National funds and the automobile
money collected can be devoted to
the primary roads for draining,
grading, crawling or oiling with
out vote of the people. To pave the
roads an affirmative vote must be
had.
Senator Holdoegel pointed out that
to accomplish any considerable
of paving in the country the
people would have to vote for the
issuance of bonds and the people
who would be willing to vote for
the bonds would be willing at the
same time to vote for the hard-sur-
face roads which the bonds were to
pay for. On the other hand if not
given a chance to have their say as
to the use Of the money they no
doubt would defeat the bond issues.
So in practical working nothing has
been lost by leaving the matter to
the voters.
The secondary road system COM
prises the lateral and tributary
roads outside the primary system
and will be maintained by the regu-
lar road tax funds.
Some Changes i'm Farm Values.
The senator has been twenty-seven
years in Calhoun county and when
he came there he was offered quar-
ter section, six, miles east Of Rock
we'll City for eight dollars an acre.
In order to look it over he spoiled
his Sunday best suit of clothes in the
mud and broke the buggy he drove
out to look at it in. In order TO buy
the land all he would have to do was
to agree to fence the quarter and
plant forty acres of it to crop the
first year, giving his note at six per
cent for the purchase. He did not
say whether he bought it or not, but
it was to be judged not from his
description OF his depressing expert
ences that the mud and his query
of the banker as to who in the world
would be willing to live on the place.
Last fall the owner. was offered
$175 an acre for it and this spring
it sold for $250-an increase Of
SIS an acre in six months.
A New Law With Teeth.
The new state law on automobile
taxes will arrange that the owner of
a car shall pay his taxes at the coun-
ty treasurer's Office 1t must be set
tied for there by April l each year.
BY May 1, if not paid in, a state
official will be notified and a writ of
seizure will be turned into the county
sheriff who will take the unlicensed
car and sell it at auction. Five days
will be granted for redemption, but
a penalty in any event will be exact
ed. 1t looks like a law with teeth
in it, just as the the senator claim
ed.
Public War Memorials.
Cities and counties of Iowa will be
permitted under the new law to erect
and equip soldiers, sailors and ma
rines, memorial buildings and issue
bonds therefore under the Davidson
bill filed in the house and afterward
passed by both branches.
Special provisions shall be had in
such buildings for soldiers, sailors,
nurses and other persons who have
been in the military and naval SER
vice of the United States. Such build