Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-05-21
HARD SURFACINC
GROWS IN FAVOR
Sentiment for Paved Roads Surpris-
ing to Advocates of Plan
LEGISLATORS KEPT BUSY
EXPLAINING NEW LAW
Many Meetings Being Held i'm Pro-
gressive Counties and Acton
Taken Looking Toward
Highway Improve
ments of Perma-
nent Char
u CteP

Des Moines, Ia.-Legislators in
a number of the counties which are
anxious to proceed under the new
road law to improve their roads are
being kept busy attending road
meetings where the new road law
and the motor vehicle law are being
discussed. At some of these meetings
votes are taken as to whether or
not the county shall proceed to hard
surface and the sentiment in these
progressive meetings is in favor of
hard surfacing to a surprising de-
gree, according to the reports re-
ceived here.
! Polk county residents in the vicin-
ity of Ankeny, including farmers and
land owners, held a meeting at An
keny few nights ago and declared
for hard surfaced roads. The work
ings of the road law were discussed
by Senator Parker Of Polk county
and the motor vehicle law by Repre-
sentative Hauge.
One of the points in the new law
! i'll which interest appears to be gen.
eral is the one requiring that super
visors cannot proceed to hard surface
until authorized so to do by vote
OF the people. The board may call
this election on its own >volition or
it must call it when petitioned by
ten per cent of the voters.
Hence the starting of a movement
to hard surface hinges on this pro-.
vision of the new law requiring an
election. II an election is held on the
question of hard surfacing and the
proposal to hard surface Is defeated
the county can not again vote on
hard surfacing until twenty-four
months later. The question as to
hard surfacing and as to the issue of
bonds may be submitted at the same
election. If hard surfacing is voted
down it nullifies the vote on the mat
ter of issuing bonds.
However, bonds are not necessary
| for hard surfacing unless a county
wishes to proceed more rapidly than
the funds coming in from federal aid
from the automobile license money
and from special assessments permit.
| A county can pave as much each sea-
son as it's regular funds will permit.
In all cases of course the draining
and grading must be completed be-
fore surfacing is undertaken.
| The auto license fees under the
new license law which takes effect
/ Dec: the license fee for Ford will
/ be in the enighborhood Of SIS, but
on some of the high priced cars it
will run up as high as $50 or $50.
/ A schedule as to fees on each make
! of car will be made out and posted
in the county treasurer's Office.
Capitol improvements.
Further improvements Of the capi-
tol extension grounds about the state
house were authorized by the Thirty
eighth general assembly just re-
Gently adjourned. Among other
things the legislature provides for
the following.
Erection of temple OF Justice to
house legal departments of the state
and to scost S1,O00,000.
Purchase of lot at the southeast
corner Of the present grounds border
ing the railroad yards on which to
erect heating plant.
Purchase of about a quarter OF
block of property including the Bry-
ant public school building located at
Grand and Penn avenues.
Removal of the Allison monument
from it's present location south of
the state house to some other loca-
tion in the capitol grounds.
The temple OF justice will be the
first new building to be erected on
the capitol extension grounds, The
original plans included an office
building and an armory in addition
to the temple of justice. II the two
remaining buildings are to be erect
ed they are left for some future
Legislature to provide for
The bill as passed specified that a
commission must be appointed to
take charge OF the erection of this
building OF which chief Justice OF
the supreme court would be chair
man. This places the duties of the
Craftsmanship of this commission on
Chief Justice Ladd. Speaker Arch
McFarlane before adjournment nam
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