Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1922-05-03
HOW MUCH DO
They COST?
Bad Roads Has Been Topic of Con-
versation in Many Iowa
Counties This
Spring.
THIS is THE
AGE OF TRAVEL
But the Average Iowa Road is in
Bad Shape too Much Of the
Time During the Year.

The main topic of conversation in
Delaware county says the Manches-
ter Press for full month past has
been bad roads, and we believe the
same situation applies to great
many other Iowa counties as well.
1t was the topic in Winneshiek also.
The Press says there is nothing re-
markable about this. This is the
age of travel by automobile, and
that method of transportation has
come to be so utterly relied upon that
interference with it becomes a posi-
tive hardship. For several weeks
Delaware county roads, almost with
out exception, have been in such
execrable state that the use of motor
cars has been out of the question
! Indeed, it is only with great diff
Guilty that stout team attached to
light buggy has been able to nego-
! tate some of our principal highways.
/ 1t is no wonder, then, that CONVEX
Sation centerS upon a situation of
such vital Importance to both town
and country.
There are a number of good towns
in Delaware county. They are trad
ing centers for large and prosper
Gus territory. During this month of
bad roads, however, they have been
all but abandoned. They became in
fact deserted villages. Scores of mer-
chants dependent for their livelihood
upon rural trade have lost sum in
vanished trade which would pave the
Hawkeye highway from Masonville to
Dyersville. But that is only frac-
Of +ha 40, -
ship produce have suffered from over
feeding and fuctuation of markets.
Homes where severe sickness prevail
ed have had to do without the SER
vices of a physician. School, church
and social gatherings have been all
but placed on the retired list. I'M
portant business engagements, in
volving settlements of vital interest,
have been delayed or relinquished.
In the effort to travel, whether or
not, hundreds of automobiles have
been broken down, many wrecked,
and huge expense bills contracted for
wear and tear on tires, springs, and
motor mechanism. 1t is a literal
fact that there are farmers in this
county who, during the past month,
have taken out of their cars in
actual wear every dollar that it
would cost them to meet a paving
assessment Oh 40 acres of land 'front.'
ing the highway.
What is going to be the solution of
this sen.I-annual drain on the pockets,
time and temper of Delaware county
people. Many of US were of the opin-
ion that the graveled road furnishes
the answer, entertaining the hope
that somehow it could be made to
stand the strain of traffic without the
expense of hard surfacing. But this
spring we have seen our best gravel
ed roads go to pieces. Even the fine
new stretch of gravel east of Man
chester, eight inches in depth, care
fully graded and drain tiled, is de-
velOping mud holes of pretentious
character, although it is not year
old. The old gravel north and west
of town has been impossible in spots
for weeks.
The Press has maintained for sew
eral years, and nothing has occurred
to change its mind, that sooner or
later the primary roads in Delaware
county will have 10 be hard surfaced.
| There are two of these roads, one
running east and west and the other
north and south, across the county.
But antecedent to paving must come
thorough draining. Indeed, this is the
first great requirement Of all our
roads, of whatever material made. I'm
til we get the water out from under
these highways, no surfacing can be
relied upon to stand up.
The experiences of the past few
weeks ought to induce our people to
seriously and earnestly consider what
is to be done to make our roads US
able the year around. We ought not
to be willing to longer stand the
enormous drain involved inability to
get from town to town or farm to
farm. The price we are paying for
bad roads every year amounts to a
staggering figure. There must be
solution that will appeal to the COM
mon judgment and intelligence. Why
can't we find and apply it?-Man-
chester Press.