Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-04-26
FIRST IN STATE TO FORMULATE
PROGRAM or HARD SUR.
FACING UNDER NEW LAW.
RECENTLY ENACTED
STATUTE IN EFFECT
County Option, Assessment Against
Adjacent Property AMI Other Fsa'
lures Of New Law - Progressive
Counties Of State Preparing to Pro.
coed Promptly.

Special to Times Republican
pcs-Aloines. April 2s.1The Iowa
road Jaw which ushers in a new era
in road buildins-in Iowa is now in fuil
force. and effect. having taken effect
on publication. Road projects started
more than year ago in Greene count!
and in Crawford county will be COM
pleted under the new law.
According TO present prospects
c;reene county will be among the first
counties In the state TO do any hard
surfacing under the present law. In
this hard surfaclng Greene county Will
set an example to the state IN more
than one way--it will not only insti-
tute the movement to hard surface but
it viii also by example proclaim tina,
graveled roads viii not do the BUSH
ness in this state.
One OF the provisions of the road law
as finally, passed was that counties
might gravel instead of hard surface
II they wished to do so and 1t Is be-
lieveds will be a tendency in some
counties to gravel instead of hard sur
face. But Greene county, which has
had graveled roads for many years.
has found thai they do not pay.
Senator Walter Anderson. Of Greene
county VINO was born and raised in the
county which he has represented In
the legislature for The past several
sessions first in the house and this
past session in the senate. declared in
discussing the gravel roads before the
legislature adjourned that they were
not satisfactory and that in his judg-
ment his county would be among the
first to hard surface considerable
area of it's inter county or primary
highways.
Vote Necessary For Paving.
There can be no hard surfacing un-
der this new law unless the county SO
votes. This provision was written in
TO the law. in the form Of a senate
amendment it will be remembered be-
fore the senate could get an affirma-
tive vote on the road bill. The ardent
friends Of hard surfacing say that this
amendment was unfortunate and will
serve to delay hard surfacing but fur
Their say that in the end hard surfac-
ing will come on the inter county
roads.
Chief Engineer Thomas Mcdonald.
of the state highway commission. esti-
mates that only about 1900 miles Of
the 5000 miles Of primary roads are
put to grade or drained. The primary
roads are the roads which run from
county seat to county seat across the
state. Hence there is q long tedious
job ahead in grading and draining
t.or
suFfacine can ssatre Mace, There will
be 70 special assessments to pay for
the cos, Of grading and draining. This
cost will come out OF the federal aid
and motor license money or in other
words the primary fund. 1t is only
when hard surfacing is to be under
taken as voted for by The people that
assessment districts will be f'vc''.
As has been previously explained
these assessment districts will extend
for mile and half on each side of
the paved highway. The cost of hard
surfacing is estimated al $4,000. per
mile and according to the statement Of
Representative James B. Weaver, of
Polk county each mile along the road
for distance back Of the mile and
half on eacE side of the road would
have to raise 5000. or $4,000. on each
side.
The amount of money for the inn
provement and maintenance Of the
roads outside the primary roads. or
county seat roads, as they are more
generally recognized, will be larger
under this new law than heretofore
so that such roads need not be neg
lccted while the inter county roads are
paved. The new road law provides
that all of the present road taxes will
go to these secondary And township
roads and the two mill road building
fund, which has heretofore been levied
on farm property only has been
spread over all of. the property in the
county. This will therefore give the
secondary roads more none, than they
have ever had before.
AS the matter Of foa imp ovemcnt
now appears It would seem that the
progressive counties Of the state now
intend to proceed promptly to take
advantage Of the new law and hard
surface a considerable portion Of their
inter county roads while The less pro-
gressive will lag back but In the course
of years will follow tn example of
their more progressive neighbors ana