48 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



the land abutting on this road puts up 10 per cent, gives you a good 

 proposition. 



Now, gentlemen, that bill. I think, should be enacted by your next 

 legislature. In order to make that law effective you should appoint 

 some different power from what you have now. I don't mean your 

 present county commissioners; I don't believe the county trustees would 

 be the exact power to distribute these funds. I think you should do 

 what New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut have done; create an 

 Road Commission. I know some of you gentlemen will begin to scratch 

 your heads and say, well, we have got so many new boards now; they 

 are stealing everywhere; we don't want any new organization. Do you 

 realize that today you are putting up $1,753,000 in that neighborhood, 

 and you have no decent road to your house? Will you tell me why 

 you object to a practical engineer that would be in touch with every 

 single road? Will you tell me why you oppose a man who would be 

 located at the Capitol to direct these roads and culverts sixteen feet and 

 ten feet wide to be built, and to put down burnt clay? If you will do 

 that you will have somebody you can hold responsible. 



So, if you enact the State Aid Law. you need a State Commission 

 to disburse this money. I would favor three men, instead of one — one 

 man in the western part of the State, the other in the eastern, and one 

 at the Capitol, and let this man be a practical engineer who will furnish 

 the plans and blue prints that you have today in building your bridges 

 and culverts. Wouldn't it be better to furnish these plans for all the 

 counties in the State? 



Without system you can never hope to have great success in your 

 road affairs. The plan you want is organization, first; then agitation 

 and education, and through education you come up to your legislature. 



I don't want to take very much of your time; it is not necessary. 

 The law that you should pass should be the State Aid Law. I think 

 you should not appropriate less than a quarter of a million as a starrer. 

 If Pennsylvania can appropriate six and one half millions, I know the 

 State of Iowa can start with a quarter of a million; I think some would 

 favor five hundred thousand dollars. Get your machinery in good order 

 before you increase too much. 



Gentlemen, there is another proposition I am going to present to 

 you, and that is today we have a large number of men in Des Moines, 

 *and in all the cities of the State, who are not working. You are feed- 

 ing these men; the taxpayers are feeding them. You are subscribing 

 to charities and a dozen things that are inviting these men into Des 

 Moines and the larger cities. You are not pestered with this class of 

 men as we are in cities like Chicago. I will say to you gentlemen we 

 are arresting men, women, boys and girls in the United States which is 

 costing somewhere about seven million of dollars a year, to arrest these 

 people. Do you intend to allow the tramps and vagrants to start from 

 Omaha and come along your railroad tracks and come into Des Moines 

 and demand something of your wife, and if she does not give it, prob- 

 ably knock her down, and in some cases set your houses on fire? I 

 am giving you something that is going to appeal to you. this class of 



