Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 131, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 June 1910 — GOOD ROADS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GOOD ROADS

The Good Koada Problem. Whatever else may be said of it, the problem of good roads is largely local In character. If the people want good roads and are willing to pay for the teame they will get them. The way to tio it will be found If there is a will. There has been much tinkering and patching of the lowa road laws in recent years. Not a legislature has met an many years, but it has had before it a great many proposals for changes In the laws. The last legislature did less than any other, largely because there was no leadership and nobody to suggest that something should be done for lowa good roads. But, after all, the laws are sufficient, and the Important thing is to have the people understand fully that if they are to have good roads, or better roads, it will he because they are willing to pay for the Same. Of the necessity for good roads there can be no question. It is idle to waste ■word* aoout how much cab bi saved by having good roads or to spend time telling about the terrible losses from bad roads. These things have been told so many times that some people think this is all there is to a good roads movement. What is wanted is some practical way of getting the people who pay the taxes interested sufficiently so they will dig up and pay the bills without grumbling when the road work is done. Good roads mean increase of taxes in some form. A great many persons seem to think that if they can get the state to father a good roads movement, it will relieve them of a burden. Nothing could be further from the truth. The state gets its money from taxation. But let as all boost for good roads. It is a good thing. Nobody is opposed. There will be no controversy. It is popular. It 1b right.—Des Moines News. Michigan Roada Beat of All. James H. MacDonald, state highway commissioner of Connecticut, and for the last five years president of the American Road Builders’ Association, stopped in Detroit a few hours on his way east. Mr. MacDonald was in this state six years ago, and at that time addressed the state legislature, urging the value of the good roads movement. “I want to congratulate Michigan on the showing she Is making,” said the Connecticut commissioner. "The state is in the front rank, and the counties ire contributing to the movement more than the state, and that shows that the movement has fffund favor with the mass of the people. It shows that the people have confidence in it. "The good roads movement has had a remarkable development. The American Good Roads Association has been in existence six years, and there are now 22 states affiliated with it. The movement has become almost universal. “The foreign countries have the best roads, but with the Introduction of the newer travel, with which Detroit is concerned more than any other city, the old countries find that they must adopt new methods of repairing their roads. They had to bring Americans over there to show them the way. There will be another international good roads convention in Brussels next July, and two delegates will go from each state In the union.”—Detroit Free Press.