60 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



renewed, almost in one job lot, it was an unusually bad -season for 

 roads in the State of Iowa, and for work upon them. Yet, under all these 

 adverse circumstances, the law has not proven a failure, so far as I can 

 ascertain. I know there were some townships in the State of Iowa where 

 an adverse judgment was passed on that law in advance; in these town- 

 ships the people tried to establish the fact that their judgment was right. 

 Of course there was great dissatisfaction in these localities, but it was 

 not with the new law, because the new law was not put in force. I know 

 of no township, and I have taken some pains to investigate, where the 

 trustees took hold of the execution of this law in good faith and really 

 tried to get the best there was in it, and where they were fortunate 

 enough to get a reasonable overseer, but what the law gave reasonable 

 satisfaction. 



So I say that I believe there will be an effort in the legislature to 

 repeal it. I feel very anxious about the matter, because, to turn back 

 now, to take up the old system that proved its inefficiency during forty 

 or fifty years, and admittedly so by the people generally over the entire 

 State of Iowa, to turn back to that now would certainly be an unwise 

 thing. 



I can not believe that the farmers of Iowa — sober, steady-going, well- 

 meaning, intelligent farmers of Iowa — desire to repeal this law and turn 

 back to the old one. Let us be sure we are getting something better 

 before we repeal the present law. 



I think we should take hold of this matter, and when we have once 

 put the machinery in operation and get it to working smoothly with ref- 

 erence to the improvement of our roads, the question with reference to 

 National and State aid can come wisely. There are many things in its 

 favor; the fact that taxation would become general, and the fact that it 

 is spread over a wider amount of property is in its favor. 



I feel, from my standpoint, that we must wake up over the problem 

 of good roads; we must get in harmony with the workings of it; we must 

 get the machinery to working at home, and then, perhaps, these other 

 things can come. This good roads edifice, I believe, should have its 

 foundation at the bottom and build upwards. 



Governor Packard : We might get some expression with 

 reference to the repeaHng of this law. It is a matter of consid- 

 erable interest, and I apprehend the objection to the present 

 law is from those who prefer the old system. That is going to 

 be a dangerous proposition. If we go back to the old system, 

 we will be going to step backwards ; if we stick to the present 

 system, we are going to do something in advance. 



A Member : I have had some experience in the way of over- 

 hearing trustees, clerks and road bosses talk. Of course, this 

 year, I think it was because they had tO' collect the tax and then 



