Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-05-08
COUNTY MAY BE FORCED TO LAY
PAVING TO SECURE AP.
PRovAL OF PROJECT.
OTHERWISE FEDERAL MONEY
MAY BE REFUSED BY v. s,
District Engineer w. r. Beard, OF
Highway Commission Says State
Commission and Federal Road De-
partment May Insist on Some Kind
of Paving as Condition Of Aid.

VI. F.. Beard, district engineer Of
the state highway commission. when
in the city supervising the letting of
a road grading contract Wednesday
gave it as his opinion that the state
highway commission and the office of
public roads at Washington, d. c.
would insist upon some kind of paw
ing for the permanent Improvement Of
the primary road system in Marshall
county as condition for federal aid.
He said that prior TO this last winter a
few graveled road projects had been
approved. but the bottom went so
completely out of gravel surfacing
last winter that the federal road en-
gineens were unwilling to eXpend fed
eral aid money on any more of ii on
main trunk line y roads where the
traffic already demanded something
more durable.
He said that gravel would still be
approved on all the rest of the county
roads and township roads, as there
would not he money enough available
to pave them, but in his judgment
Glass construction would be more
generally required. which calls for
about three times as much gravel as
the minimum specification heretofore
used in most cases.
FIFTY Miles IN Marshall County
The primary road system in Mar
shall county comprises the Lincoln
highway across the county, the North
Third avenue road to the county line
and the South Center street road TO
Laurel and to the county line, ap-
proximately fifty miles. In Mr.. Beard S
opinion about ten miles would be let
in one seasons contract which would
cover five years of construction TO
pave all of the primary roads. Lut the
crawling of the rest or the county
road system should go on at the same
time
The new road law concentrates all
of the automobile license money and
all Of the federal aid on this primary
road system and government engineers
must approve the kind of surfacing
before federal aid of about $4,000 per
annum can be secured. The voters OF
lHe county must ~ WV huNiiS' 'SN -
county board to proceed with paving
but If the federal engineers require
paving the voters will be left with
Hobson's choice as the county Will
lose its share Of federal aid if it fails
to comply.
Beard Makes Estimate.
After this year auto licenses will be
more than doubled, which will add
greatly to the funds for improvement
of primary roads. Under the new law
% per cent of ell cost of surfacing
with either pavement or gravel may
be assessed to the land within a mile
and a half on each side of the road
Engineers have been working out APP
proximate estimates Of what this dis
tribution would amount to, and Mr..
Beard has an estimate of his own
which might be followed by board
of appraisers if it should correspond
with their own estimate of the bene-
fits to be derived from the improve
ment.
Using $4,000 as the cost of mile
of paving and assessing So 900 OF 1t
to the nearby land on each side. Mr..
Beard would spread half of it over the
first half mile on each side, or 1925 to
each quarter section, and he would
place about 1915 on the next quarter
section back of that and $3.50 on the
last quarter section. These assess
ments would then be subdivided into
ten annual payments and cost $3.50,
$3.50 and s25 per annum for each
quarter section respectively to be
contiguous to paved road to town.
Automobile money and federal aid
would pay the rest of the cost. He
thinks that the benefited property
owners will gladly welcome paving at
these costs but, if some do not want it.
there will always be enough others
who do to use the federal aid money
as fast as it comes.
City Property Assessed.
The new law places all of the county
road fund tax money upon the re-
mainder Of the county road system
and makes the present 3 mills apply
to city property as well as TO rural
property, which greatly increases this
fund and applies it to approximately
two thirds of the county road system,
as the primary roads constitute the
other one third and are otherwise
provided for. This. with the assess
ment of one-fourth the cost OF gravel
ing to benefited property nearby, will
rraatlv nrnmnta the surfacine of the
county road system. 1t will also aid
township road improvements to the
extent Of 25 per cent Of the cost
wherever township trustees are will
ing to pay so per cent from township
funds and assess % per cent to nearby
land.
Everybody Doing It.
Blackhawk county supervisors have
called an election for June 3 to vote
bond issue Of s1,5O0,000 for the paw
ing of eighty miles Of primary roads
in that county and the Tama county
board of supervisors has announced
that it will on May % adopt resolu-
+inpc calling a speciaj election for the