The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1919-04-24
THE IOWA ROAD LAW.

Last week the Iowa Legislature en-
acted into law the road bill when
we summarized in recent issue, the
only important change being an
amendment which provides that
bonds may be issued only on a vote
of the people OF the county. me
county board of supervisors may call
an election for the purpose or voting
on the question Of issuing bonds Tor
roads, or it may be brought about by
a petition signed by ten per cent OF
those who voted for governor at the
previous general election. The
county option amendment was a
compromise between those who
strongly favor the state system OF
surfacing and those who are opposed
to any\surfacing at all and those VINO
insisted that nothing should pc done
except with the approval OF the peo-
pie of the counties.
i. The law as it finally passed is not
road enthusiasts. What they want
is a law which will encourage the
Wholesale building of hard roads,
especially state roads. Nor is 1t en-
tirely satisfactory to those people
who are absolutely opposed to spend
ing, any money at all Tor nara sur
facing roads. They would prevent
the people OF the counties from vot-
ing on the question, if they could
have their way. Under the law as
it now stands, however, when the
majority of the people of a county
want to issue bonds for the purpose
of hard surfacing their roads, they
can do so. This means that many
counties will soon provide for hard
surfacing their main travelled roads.
If they succeed in getting good roads
n
well satisfied. it is reasonably sure
that the people of adjoining counties
will follow their example.
The interesting thing about this
whole matter is that four years ago.
and two. years ago, almost one-half
of the members Of the Iowa leglsia-
ture were willing and anxious to do
away with the State Highway Com
mission, emasculate the highway
law, and go back to the primitive
system of road making which was
followed in Iowa fifteen years ago.
Sentiment of this sort was almost
wholly absent during the present
legislature, and il was evident early
in the session that road law would
be passed which would at least make
it possible for the citizens OF the
various counties to bond themselves
for hard sIrfacing of the roads If
they wanted to do so.
When we look back at the road
progress that has been made in Iowa
during the past fifteen years, we
should be quite we'll satisfied. Under
the highway law. and under the effic-
lent direction of the Highway Com
mission, a vast improvement has
been made in Iowa roads. Perman-
eat culverts and bridges have been
put in, grades have been established.
and roads have been kept in much
better condition for travel.
The majority of the people are
now ready to spend considera bly,
more money for roads, if they can
be sure of getting a dollars worth
Of road for every dollar spent. That
is the big question now. The best
sort of road for Iowa has not yet
been determined. There will be a
good deal of experimenting, and no
doubt good deal Of money wasted
in the course of these experiments.
The important thing now is to get
thoroughly competent men to deal
with the road question. ihe farm
e1s of the state should absolutely in
sst upon it that the county supervis-
ors hire real experts, honest men
who have studied the road question
and who know their business; and
they should insist that they be paid
salaries large enough to command
the services of the best men to be
had.-Wallaces Farmer.