Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1921-05-12

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TIE road meetings that are being
held cut in tao State in order to get
the sertimeitt OF the people In con.
nection with the $50, 000, 900 bond is-
sue, according 10 L. r, Kelso of Cape
Girsrdeau, president If the Fedora
ton of Missouri Commercial Clubs,
Indicate that much confusion exists in
the minds OF the people with regard
to the solutiln of two vital questions
that must ba answered. The ques-
tioIis IN ID Shall we levy a rop
erty tax for maintaining state roads
constructed out of funds derived from
the 500, 900,00 bond issue? (2) Shall
we levy property tax in sorder to
provide Tor the payment of interest
on the 500, 900, 900 road bonds?
II the people are going to be COM
PEELED 10 pay property tax on real and
personal property in order to meet
the payment OF any part of the prin-
cipRl or interest, or both, in order to
provide q fund for maintaining such
roads, the Federation of Missouri
Commercial Clubs is in favor of meet
ing the issue squrely and disposing of
it out in the open, so that the failure
to meet important issues or to sub
stsntially keep campaign pledges, will
not rise up to smite good road boos-
ters later on, when they go the vot-
ers asking for future bond issues.
Men and women in practically every
community went out on a limbn in
good faith to make pledges to the peo-
pie OF Missouri in order to secure the
required ma, ority of votes in favor of
the 500, 600 600 Bond Issue. Shall we
keep faith with the voters? Or shall
we stand idly by and watch the NULL
hers of campaign pledges saw of the
limb without protest?
Thousands of voters have unquali-
edly expressed themselves In favor of
the state financing its own bonds,
thus saving 10 the state 500, 000, 900 in
interest. II Missouri is to profit by
the experience of other states in the
matter of road construction, it is
equally important that we should
profit by such experience in the mat
ter of financing road construction.
Mr.. kslso asserts that any bill author
izing the issuance of road bonds,
should provide q plan whereby the
State could, at any time, enter into q
contract for road construction, with
the unders sanding that the con-
tractor might be required to accept
bonds at par in payment, such bonds
being subject to redemption at any
time at par with accrued interest, up
on sixty days notice.
Mr. Kelso states further that there
is.no danger OF Missouri adopting a
road program that would cause the
State to lose its share of Federal aid.
Missouri has secured since 1917 $685.
000 of Federal aid. The fact that 1870
road projectsin the State already have
met the Federal requirements and
have been approved by the Federal
Highway Board, clearly demonstrates
that Missouri road projects are COM
with standard requirements.
Mr.. Kelso mas been dubbed a "mud-
road" and ''pork barrer' method ad.
vocate; but bill he and his advocates
are asking for is a fair and equitable
distribution 'of money and the most
and best roads that the money will
construct, uI'der state supervision and
III a connected system that will reach
every county seat, and redeem cam
paign pledges. FRED CUREToN,
Chairman for Iron County.