Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 230, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 September 1916 — Time to Give the Road Question Serious Thought. [ARTICLE]

Time to Give the Road Question Serious Thought.

The roads north of Rensselaer are growing worse every day and one attempting to drive over them with an auto at the present time takes his life in his own hands. Eliminating the township roads, over which the county has no control, it is doubtful if there is a county in the state possessing as poor roads as Jasper. We believe the county commissioners should take a trip in their autos over the county, especially north of Rensselaer, doing their own driving, and see the true condition of the highways. It might be well to make the return trip at night, so as to learn just what tourists and others have to put up with when passing over our roads. The stone road from DeMotte to Thayer, which is supposed to be a .-good road, in two places is so badly cut up that one attempting to pass over the place at night who is not familiar with the road, takes his life in his own hands. The stone has been cut through to the sand and resembles the waves of the ocean. A few loads of stone and a little work would soon put these spots in good condition. We believe that a new plan should be devised for the upkeep of the roads. Jasper county is a large one, being over thirty miles in length, and it is too much to expect one man to look after all the roads of the county. We believe that the county should be divided into sections, perhaps by townships, and a man ap-, pointed in each township to look after the roads. Each township would then take a pride in seeing that their roads were the best and good would result. Stone should be shipped to the nearest point in the township, and it could then bet handled in the most economical manner. There is no economy in hauling the stone as many miles as is done in many cases now bv tgams. lt might be economy for the county to purchase motor trucks of large capacity‘for the handling of the stone, but this is merely a suggestion and might not prove economical. Another thing that would add to the lasting qualities of the roads would be good drainage. The roads should be dragged frequently, which is not expensive but adds much to keeping the roads in first riass condition. The writer is not a road builder, but he "does know that something is wrong with the roads of Jasper county, and The Republican would be pleased to publish contributions which would throw light on the question of how to secure good roads in the county and how to keep them in condition after we do get them. The tourist trade is already being ..liv-v ted to other routes and Rensselaer will soon be left off the automobile route unless better roads are provided. Much money is left by tourists in the county and an effort should be made to keep them coming this way. The road to Remington :s not all that could be desired and the college road, built new last year, is full of small holes, caused largely by the oil that was put on this year. But this portion of the road has not been repaired in the least. A few loads of screenings would put them in shape. Another thing, too coarse screenings are used for top dressing, we think. The in other counties, where the fine screenings are used, give much better satisfaction.