The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1919-07-09

literally cut TO pieces ana praCIlCdliy
destroyed by the great volume and
weight of all sorts of traffic that
lpassed over them. Ruts were often
worn, all over the travelled roadway
to depth of to 10 inches. No single
or double dragging at any time after
such destruction was sufficient to
smooth up and repair in first class
shape a road so abused. Generally
the use of a blade grader was neces'
sary in repairing dirt road which
had been called upon to attempt to
withstand traffic that would be a Sc
we're test on good, we'll paved road.
The average cost per mile of all
maintenance, work on the entire 152
miles of couRty road was $7O.0S in
1916, $11462 in 1917, and $177.02 in
1918. Quite a portion Of the damage
done to earth roads Is, caused by the
heavy auto trucks. Such excessive loads
as are often hauled at ten to fifteen
miles per hour by large trucks with
rather narrow tires impose weights
upon road surfaces far too great per
square inch for anything but the very
best of hard surfaced roads to with
stand.
But the use of the big auto truck is
one of the inevitable consequences of
road Improvement. Trucks have come
and are still coming in far greater
numbers than ever before and all are
going to stay. We should tax them to
help pay for the damage they do to
the roads on which they operate and
regulate the width Of their tires in
proportion to their loads or build road
surfaces so rigid that they won't de-
stroy Sthenl-and that would mean
nothing short of the best. Gravel, ma
cadam and other .semi-permanent sur
faces are far too weak for heavy
truck traffic, cost too much, to main
tain, and, in a county like this where
the supply of local material is very
limited, are the poorest kind of an in
vestment The choice of surfaces lies
between dirt as the best temporary
and either plain concrete pavement Or
ia brick wearing surface on good con-
crete !base-and preferably the latter
as the best permanent surfacing for
our most important roads.
It is only reasonable to expect that
the average cost per mile for main
tanning the entire county road system
will be 5000 this year. And that main.
tenance cost is being paid largely with
funds derived from property tax. If
the primary road system were at pres
ent paved, the tax payers of the coun-
ty would be relieved of paying, in tax
les, as regularly levied, about $4,000
which will be needed this year to keep
the primary roads in some sort of con-
|dition-good at times, bad generally
and seldom excellent. ri,
If the primary roads were all paved
one -half of all the traffic in Crawford
county would run over hona. ~ ssstoSz
$500 owners of automobiles in Craw-
tance of 1000 miles per year would
realize q saving Of at least 2 cents per
mile travelled over smooth hard sur
faced roads as compared to travelling
on earth roads in average. condition.
Realizing saving of Accents per mile
on one-half of IA million miles, the
owners of, autos IN this county would
profit to the extent OF $140,0O0 annual
ly under present conditions as to the
number of automobiles. An increase
in the future would increase the saw
ing effected.
At present there are about 250,O00
trucks in the United States. 1t is
safely estimated that within four
years, during which time condiserable
all-the-year'round roads will be built,
there will be four million trucks in
use in this country, Truck owners
will profit greatly-and they will soon
be numerous.
The two and one-half million miles
of rural roads in the United States
carry, eight to ten times as much ton
mage as all the steel roads or railroads.
Let us. hope that the; users of paved
country, roads in this county will, in
a few years, find it not. only very eco
nonlical to haul all: sorts of produce
to and from town over them, but, also
very profitable to be able to, market
when prices are. best ,q.; -, nvt
The Welfare of any community de-
pends primarily upon production,
transportation and consumption. Craw-
ford county farms have value in the
following three ;ways:,q, Productive
values, values as homes and selling or
prospective values.
Is it any wonder we want good, bet
ter or even the best roads? ,r
Why should we oppose hard sur
faced roads which are conceded to be