Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-04-16
IOWA EXPENDED HUGE SUM
FOR HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES
DURING 1919.
DISAPPOINTING FROM
CONSTRUCTION VIEW
Doubtful II State Received Full
Value for Large Sums Invested
Because Of Lack Of Permanently In
improvements - Handicapped Be-
cause Of Non Delivery Of Materials.

Special to Times Republican.
Ames. April 1s.-According to the
report Of the state highway commits
sion. Iowa spent for road and bridge
building during 1919 a total Of Sl6,-
l54,o7S.45.
While the year 1918 showed de-
crease Of se3i,1s3.2s from the previous
year. 1919 showed an increase over
1918 figures totalling sl,s22,765.H.
Roads. county and township, cost
ss.2ss,356.22. Bridges and culverts
cost ss.S54.72243. This is but si5,so4
more than the bridge and culvert ex-
penditure for 1918. 1t is s2,444,sSS.Is
less than the concurrent expenditure
for roads, county and township, In
1919. -
The total, s1S,15i.07s.45 was the
largest for road and bridges for
single year in the history Of the
state. Whether there was more work
actually accomplished for the in
creased expenditure or not is ques-
ton. Prices were considerably higher
on the average than the year pre-
vious so that IT is also possible that
even with the larger expenditure in
1919 there was less actual road and
bridge construction than in the pre-
vious year.
The year 1919 was somewhat OF
disappointment from the standpoint
81 construction work accomplished.
~. [,n LAg IT, fP,ev .Nf a
year never thought but that the rail-
roads. under control of the govern
ment. would be able to supply all the
tTansporta ton necessary. Steel and
ether materials necessary, it was an
ticipated would be available in at
least any reasonable quantities re-
CURED In every way it was antiCipat-
ed that there would be quick return
10 normal conditions. This did not
happen. Materials were hard to get
Transpotatio facilities were almost
as bad as when road builders were
laborirg under priority orders during
war time. Weather conditions were
urfavorable both in the spring and
in the fall seriously cutting down the
duration OF the working period: lab
or was almost impossible to get. On
the whole in the final summing up
road building from the standpoint
Of the state as a whole did not meet
expectations.
ra Progress in Other Ways.
But this failure 70 meet eXpecta-
tions was only from the standpoint
| of construction work. In other ways
Iowa made great rQad building pro-
cress. The thirty eighth general as
seubly provided legislation which 1t
is believed started the state on a new
era Of road building. Roads Of the
state were divided into the primary
and secondary systems and ample
funds provided for the construction
and maintenance Of each system
While the legislation was not COM
! leted until early N the summer the
road building officials OF the state
made every effort possible to COM
plete the organization of the road
| building forces 70 make the prelin-
! mary surveys and to carry out SO
| far as possible the preliminaries nee
essary for beginning road construc-
ton early in the 1920 season upon
mammoth scale.
Government Vehicles Received.
| Iowa. up to March s, had received
from the ver department SIS motor
vehicles. or this equipment 5Ia are
trucks and 81 touring cars and IS
| Ford ambulances, II G. NJ. G. am
huIancas, II tractors, . concrete mix
ers. and considerable quantity OF
Muscular eous equipment. To date
| 20s Of the trucks have heen distrihut-
ed to the various counties and to Z
Of the state institutions, where there
Is considerable road maintenance. OF
the trucks received. 2o2 had seen
usage in various military camps. OF
the used trucks only about 30 have
boen found to he in very poor con-
dition. the majority Of the others
recurring very little repair to put
them into splendid working condl-
ton Three hundred seventy-six of
the trucks were absolutely new,
MANY of them never having been
run at all.
The touring cars have all seen
usage and a number Of them are In
first class condition. Twenty-Five OF
the touring cars are Fords which
saw service at Camp Dodge. The au-
tomobiles and ambulances will be
used for survey crews.