Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-02-14
Iowa Plans Complete
Road System

A program Of continuous cross state highways, sup
planting the county system with its freqtent gaps, Is
to Be furthered by q special session Of TIE Iowa legis-
lature. Governor John HammilI mas called to convene
March s. The governor will sbul1it a bill authorizing
a referendum vote of the psOfle on q bond issue Of
500, 100000 for hard sarfacing the entire primary
road system and Replacing the s7o.ooo.ooo bonds already
voted by the <fveral counties.
Before. issuing his call to the legislature. Governof
Harm;n obtained pledges of a majority Of the mem
-bership of both houses they would pass the necessary
legislation, and il is probable the huge bond issue wiz
be placed before the voters at the general election in
November.
Should the voters adopt the program, the states
primary road system will be entirely surfaced IN SIX
years, whereas under the present county syOm It
would REQUIRE sixteen years to accomplish the same
results. This program will be carried out without adj
ditional tax levy, the bonds to be retired over a period
of twenty years. as provided in the state CO stitution.
from funds received from the automobile sistration
tax and the state gasoline tax
On January / it was estimated III a total Of So
per cent Of the primary road system was surfaced with
paving or gravel. Under the state bond issue program
some Of the graveled mileage will be pavde and all the
rest Of the roads not now surfaced will be graveled,
giving Iowa a primary road system Of which 1888
miles will be paved and 1882 miles graveied.
The action Of the Iowa legislature will be watched
with considerable interestLhy other states, and it Is
probable several states win Rbmit similar referendums
at the November election. Iowa proponents of the
bond issue assert that the saving effected through
handling big contracts will be large, and the fact that
all primary roads will be joined, forming a statewide
system, will aid materially in developing all the wealth
producing resources OF the state.
One Of the most satisfactory features of the Iowa
plan is the fact that the burden is not borne by a tax
on the land. II is placed exactly where it belongs
upon the motor vehicles-by means Of the ~registra-
ton and gasoline tax. Under this plan the issuance OF
the bonds will create no hardship upon any individual
or section. The highways will be paid for by the OPP
Grafton Of motor vehicles, and the cost will be very
evenly distributed.
Efforts are now being directed toward securing
similar action by the Texas legislature. Under the
present system whereby each county or road district
is handling its own highway program a score Of years
will be required to complete q comprehensive system
of state highways. Many of the Texas counties have
practically no bonding capacity. and others have no
inclination to use their bonding capacity for the i'm
prcvement of highways. The result is that those pro-
gressive counties or road districts which are willing
to issue bonds for highway construction are often
isolated By long stretches Of unimproved highway
which reduce the value Of the improved highways 10
the minimum. Also under the present system the lands
bear the msior part OF the burden 81 highway costs, a
condition which could be rectified b. imposing a gas
cline tax sufficient to provide for the interest and
sinking fund of a state bond issue.