The Muscatine Journal from Muscatine, Iowa • 58

MUSCATINE JOURNAL AND NEWS-TRIBUNE WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER 30. 1936 Material Reduction in Relief Load in County Effected During Year; OSLCtl MOV State and County Expend $125,000 rock-bottom ldw of 141 in Oc Bridge Nearing Completion fWPA Funds Totaling $8952 Used By County; Projects First Undertaken in 1930: The close of the vear 1936 saw work wpII nnW wnv An the secondary road system in v. xiiuoxass supervising operations unaer a new three year road improvement program launched this year and being carried out under procedure outlined in the state Bergmaa Road law which has been in effect since Jan. 1, 1930.

W. P. A. Funds Aid. Through the WPA program, the aid of the federal gov- ernment has beenlent in co-operating financially In carrying out the work under the county's approved program; Since the inauguration of the works progress adnainis- tration, the total amount received by the county on all projects operated under the direction of the county engineer, for I the period ending Nov.

15, amounts to $89,529.44. i I. Total contribution by the county on this same "cori-; Btruction work for the period ending Nov; 30 comes to stands at about 235 in December. County records reveal that out of the 232 cases 1 recorded for November, 121 were families, comprising 382 persons, while 106 were single persons and five, service cases. 1 The recapitulation by months shows: 1 277; February, 287; March, 281; April, 253; May, 217; June, 218; July, 216; August, 222; September; 207? October, 22H and November, 232.

1 For relief purposes, figures on file at the office of County Auditor Kenneth i Coder show that the county has 'expended during the first 11 months of December's expenditures were expected to swell the total to about $75,000. By months, the expenses were: -January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, 1 September, October. $4,684.93 and Novem-ber; $5,093. 1- These figures include the; couri-ty'sL' contributions to-the cost of unemployment relief, the main portion of which is carried by state funds. State Spends $50,000.

It was estimated at the close of December that the state would have expended about $50,000 for unemployment relief and "medical aid the yearr bringing" the tptal from both state: and county sources to $125,000. The unemployment' relief load showed: a5 sharper drop during the year. From a high pfj 36 cases iii February, the number dropped off by more than one-half toa tober. Seasonal influences, however, i tended to bring this figure up somewhat during November and December. The November pic- ture showed 184 cases on unemployment -relief these constitut-" ing 163 families" in which were 739 persons, 12 single persons and 14 service cases.

Figures Show Decline. i The constant decrease in; the relief load is reflected in com- figures by months: January, 357; February 396; March, -V 373; April, 316; May, 224; June, 182; July, 188; August, 212; September, 201; October, 141; and November, -184. The December figure is expected to be approxi- mately the same as. that for Not vember. So in all, some 1.200 or 1.30D" persons in Muscatine county, or about one out of every 24, are receiving direct aid -in the form of either or state Telief funds.

Mrs. Laura Goebel, formerly of Fairfield, took 'over the duties of county director of relief here -in March of 1936, succeeding Miss. -Clara Schwandt. Attorney Gus Allbee continued in his post as f-county administrator of relief. For 1937, indications? point to a relief program carried 'out practicalljr'the same lines asuin 1936.

i State aid will continue to be received to care fdr the unemployment relief load, and con-sequently the county will be required to contribute a slightly larger percentage of this cosj, addition to the burden of. the regular county caies. i Journal Photo 4nd Enrrvinf (On County road C. Just this side of the Milwaukee railroad underpass, about four miles southwest or Muscatine, the new concrete and steel bridge shown in the above picture was practically completed daring 1936 and will be thrown open to traffic early in 1937. The guard rails on the super-elevated structure, which is built on a curve, will not be placed until next spring.

The present old bridge, which will be torn down immediately, is shown alongside the modern -t. Muscatine county, with County stands one-third completed. A glance at the adjoining chart depicts graphically what has been done in the way of road improvement in Muscatine county during the past seven years; At the beginning pf 19301 Muscatine county's primary1 road sys tem consisted of 94.13 miles, 9.75 miles of, which was still unsur-f aced. Today the primary road system has been increased to 105 miles, all surfaced, and Comprising 14.3 per cent of the total mileage of roads in the county. Seven years six miles of Muscatine county'- 57.63 miles of trunk roads-, were unimproved.

Since that" time, the trunk roads in the county haveV been augmented to 69.51 miles, tail surfaced. Trunk roads comprise 9.5 per cent of the totals cqunty road mileage. 1 -j Constituting the largest item of the county's rpad system are the local roads. Back in 2930 there were 538.46 miles of these local roads which were "in I the mud' unimproved and unsurf aced. constituted ,72.5 per cent, or almost three-fourths of the total road mileage in the county.

The chart shows that but 53.71 miles or, 7.2 of these local roads were surfaced. -'Under the systematic programs of road construction and Improvement work carried out since the Bergman lawf became effective, the total mileage of unsurf aced local i roads has been to 390.74 miles, or but scarcely more than half of the total mileage in the county. un tne other 1 hand: now. the miles of improved local roads has climbed to 169.44-23.2 per cent of the, local system. Road Status Summarized.

So we find that of i the 734.69 miles of county roads; there are ai present wo mues 01 surfaced primary k-oads; 69.51; miles of surfaced I county trunk roads: 169.44 mlJes of surfaced, local "feeder" roads; and 390.74 miles of local roads which still remain to be improved and 1 surfaced. With the increase in the im proved and surfaced road mile age, though, has come another problem the necessary boost in the cost of maintenance. Although plans by the county for hard surfacing are still in their embryonic state, the county engineer has pointed, out that the placing of a light black-top sur facing over present; gravelled roads has been proven to be practical and may inaugurated here soon. i Hand in hand with the road improvement program carried out In the county within the past year has gone an extensive pro- I TV i yz -T 1 provided with concrete floor, having 15 ton capacities. These two structures replaced old Concrete culverts that had only a 16 foot load way and were in poor condition." Another, creosoted wooden pile structure constructed with a laminated wood flooring on a 12 foot span, nine feet above creek, with 24 foot clear roadway, designed for a 15 ton load capacity; replaced old steel structure that was failing.

Six creosoted wooden box culverts, all with 15 ton load capacities, constructed of the following sizes: 3x3x27 feet; 3x3x29; 4x4x34; 6x3x35; 5x4x43; 6x6x50. Four reinforced concrete bpx oulverts constructed, all to full width roadwayipf 26 feet, with 15 ton load capacity, of following dimensions: 3 1-2x2x15 feet extension; 4x2x29; 4 1-2x5 1-2x30; and 10x5x32. 1 Special bridge floor improvements made on 14 bridge struc-tures providing them with bituminous mat wearing surfaces, total square feet over-all, 9741. Nmety-six, corrugated galvanized steel culverts, in diameters running from 15 to 36 inches, in lengths of 16 to 48 feet; grand total length of all strung out end to end would amount to 2,640 feet, or just -half a mile. Twenty-one reinforced concrete circular culverts constructed in diameters of 18 to 42 inches; lengths of 36 to 72 feet; total lineal feet strung out end to end amounting to 921.

1 Only Short Gaps in Indian Gap Highway In Great Smoky Mountain National park the Indian Gap highway Between GatHnburg, and Bryson City, C. has only two unfinished stretches of road. Both are one-quarter mile in length and are under construction now.Traffie can go oyer these sections, without difficulty in all kinds of weather. The highway is 82 miles long, 59 miles of which is hard surfaced and the rest gra-vel. 1 1937 1 or slightly less than half the total expenditure-by both agencies.

i Under the systematic planning of road improvement encouraged by the Bergman road law, con- tinued steady progress was made in Muscatine county in 1938 on the first lap of the county's third three-year program prepared by the county engineer, and adopted by the board of approval early' in the year'. Mri Halbfass reports that there was built to permanent grade in 1936, 20.77 miles pf roadway. Miles of newly surfaced road com- plefed during the same period to tal 19.07, while 23.54 miles roads were grubbed, cleared, wid-Vned and in other ways made ready for grading and surfacing by county and WPA crews. The unfinished portion-of the grading contract let this year to McGuire brothers of Forest City shows 31.08 miles still under cOn- tract for permanent grading in 1937. 1 Good 'Progress, Made, Much has been accomplished! in Muscatine county in the seven years under the Bergman lawr with Its designation of the.

control of construction and mahjiten-- ance work, on what was forflierly known as the, township road; tem, in the ands of- board of supervisors Under a regularly planned schedule designed' to provide greater for the dollar. Out of this procedure has come a more systematic'-set-up-of permanently I improved roads in every, township, with "feeder" roads selected to serve the greatest possible number of persons, Instead ot a haphazard formula 'of scattering gracing and graveling jobs thrpughout: the county at points where their need was questionable. 'v ir V- Early in 1930 the county's first three-year program under the new; law -was laid out. The was built around the mpst feasible and practical, recommendations made from trustees of each township.1 Requirements of the Bergman law are that the board of supervisors spend at least 35 per cent of available construction funds on locaj or township roads. The remaining.

65 per cent the law -pledges to he county trunk system until that system Is substantially i One-Third Finished. county's first three-year program ran until the close of 1932. A new schedule adopted the beginning of the following year carried the work Up until the end of 1935, and early this year the board of approval convened at the court house to draw up the current 'program which now gram bridge construction and improvement work. Practically all pf the desienin'a work of these structures and rebuilding jobs was done in the county engineer's own designing department. i Bridre Jobs Completed.

Following are the bridse con struction jobs completed with the aid of WPA funds during the nast year in the county, as listed, by air. uaioiass: One 50-foot pony truss. 18 foot roadway, 15 ton load capacity, concrete floori creosoted timber abutments, capped with concrete. and stone rip-rap beams. One triple I-beam span total length 93 feet, 24v foot roadway, constructed on a curve and super-elevated, 15 ton load capacity, concrete pierS.

creosoted wood abutments capped with concrete, stone -np-rap One 28-foot span ony truss. 0 foot roaclivay, 15 ton load ca pacity, wood pile abutments, aminated wood floor with bitumi-ious mat wearing surface; old teel truss used and rebuilt by electric welding methods. Old 42-foot pony truss with 16 foot roadway relocated, straightened with roitd, re-erected on new creosoted pile abutments; provided with new wood floor covered with bituminous mat wearing surface. Old 40-foot pony trussfwith 16 foot roadway re-erected and pro vided With creosoted wood pile abutments and new wood deck, bituminousx rnat wearing surface and rip-rap abutments placed, Thirty-six foot deck girder span with 16 foot roadway re-erected on creosoted i wood pile abut ments, provided with a laminated wood floor and bituminous mat wearing A lzo-foot hieh steel truss with 16 foot roadway -raised and set on two old stone abutments, re constructed and capped with reinforced concrete; the truss provided with new steel shoes and roll er ends. Two creosbted wood pile struc tures constructed on an eight foot span, seven feet above the creek.

full width road of 28 feet and Relief its tendrils rooting deeper in the loam of human consciousness came more and more into its now-accepted role as i an inevitable and indispensable institution in our present day during the succeeding months of the year 1936. i Although its cost was still large, conditions combined to cut down expenses materially from the preceding year. i gradual pick-up in private employment, the continued aid lent; byr public works projects, a generally sounder business tone, and, thorough investigations by the social service staff to ensure that relief funds were going to only those who were in need had their effect. Percentage on At the present time, approximately four and half per cent of i the population of Muscatine county is receiving relief assistance. This- is.

half of the58.9 per cent who On either county or direct unemployment relief at the beginning of 1936, according to figures oh file at the ijcounty relief office in the court house. Approximately $125,000 was expended by the state and county; in providing for the county's needy during the year. Of this amount, some $75,000 was paid by the. county, while allotments of state funds expended came to approximately i J- i ltl Families Included. The case load borne the county exclusively i ranged from a high of 287 in February j-to a low of 207 in, Septembe I It 200 Musical Pupils in County Instructed By Elmer Mi Ziegler Elmer M.v Ziegler, who was born in Muscatine and who has lived here continuously with the exception of twos years during the war while he was in the U.

S. navy, has been in business here for 18 years since the 'war. Instructor for more than 200 pupils iii Muscatine county, Mr. Ziegler; whose home is at 105 West Sixth street, has had long experience in teaching piano, band and Orchestra pupils. At the present time he is supervising 13- bands and orchestras which he has organized throughout the county in schools and community centers.

These groups make it possible for any boy or girl" of the county to study music. One of the features of the Ziegler jsystem is loaning the instrument free to beginners until they have made good. Mr. Ziegler plays solo clarinet in the Kaaba Temple Shrine band at Davenport and a viola in the Tri-City symphony orchestra. He will attend the national bandmasters' clinic 1 at Champaign, 111.,.

Jan. 7 and 8. Wyoming: Lacking in Auto Brake Law Twenty-two states now have laws regarding brake requirements which specify distances in which cars mus be brought to a stop at certain speeds. Three others; have laws requiring that all new passenger cars, trucks, bus-esT and trailers shall have service brakes on each i wheel. Wyoming stands alone among, all the states in fthat it has no law setting up any brake requirements y.

HAA 4W JlllUCU Hannibal, CA HIT' iviarun-Koasa CATERPIL Le aimc mm Engineer Files Recommendations on Highway Work A far-flung program of highway construction, planned to tide the county over the next six years in its road improvement activities, has. been tentatively outlined by County Engineer F. P. G. Halbfass.

The recommendations for the six-year program were made" by the county engineer following a request from the Iowa State planning board for plans from the individual counties whereby a more useful and integrated public works construction program might be worked out for the coming years than was possible in the past. Public works, have, come to be major factors to be considered in present years, with an aver-erage approximately $25 per capita being spent for this purpose. This nation-wide inventory of planned public needs is being taken under the' auspices of the national resources commission. First and foremost in the four-point program tentatively outlined by Mr. Halbfass is a proposal for the relocation, widening, clearing, bridging and surfacing of 25 miles of roads each year a total of 150.

miles within the six year period. A second proposal is the construction of a county garage, a permanent, concrete structure, to be i built near the-Isett avenue yards. plan for a sorely needed county improvement, is the erection of a modern caretaker's residence and a -heating plant for the court house and- jail to replace the present old structure on East Fourth street, the site of the former jail. Another propect would make provision for repairs of a permanent nature to the court house and jail. Manufacturers Give Greater Attention to Safety in Autos Automobile manufacturers this year are giving greater attention than ever to the safety factors in their cars.

While major developments have1, been increasing the safety of automobiles through the years, it has remained for 1937 to bring out safety refinements, such as the elimination protruding knobs and controls, curving door handles so that they will not catch clothing, and additional interior, padding which protects occupants from severe jolts should it be necessary to stop the car suddenly. Most cars this year are using V- safety glass all around. Bumper construction has been and braking advances are being made to the end of keeping the cars under good control at all times. Automobile- builders in 1937 are also giving great attention to appearance, Visitors at automobile shows are greeted by the utmost in automobile styling smart swanky lines that are not only attractive, but practical. Many States Force Use of Safety Glass The growth In the use of safety glass in motor-car construction is shown by the fact that 26 states now specify that all new cars shall be equipped wholly or in part with the glass.

Only a few years ago safety glass was unknown. Autos Contribute to. Rail Earnings i The automobile was a contributing factor to the upturaJn business which the railroads experienced last year. Stastistics compiled by the interstate commerce commission show that automotive freight accounted for 15.5 per cent of all railroad freight business in 1935. Budget Plan of Goodyear Service ar ri The Goodyear Service store, located at 210 Iowa avenue, holds the distinction of being the first establishment of its kind to offer the motoring -public of Muscatine a convenient budget plan for purchasing tires, radios and other, important automobile accessories.

iv. Operated by W-l A. Shellady, a veteran dealer In automobile parts and accessories, the store handles complete lines of Goodyear passenger! car tires, truck tires, farm implement, tires, mud and snow tires and automotive accessories. Both car and home radios are also handled as Manager Shellady has had many years of experience in the tire business, Haying been core nected with it in various capacities since 1920. Early in 1928 he be came associated with the company at Akron, working in the wholesale department.

He was there until June, 1935, when he was given the assignment to open the Muscatine establishment. H. Li. a former employee at the George Pitchforth tire shop and the Batterson store, is an assistant at the store. Mr.

Bierman was formerly in charge of the radio department; at the Batterson store. One Auto for Every 5 Persons in U. Six The world's 2,031,618.000 persons last year possessed 37,236,000 motor vehicles, according to the National Automobile Manufactur ers' association. The United States was first in ownership with cars, or approximately one for every five persons in the nation's population of 127,521,000. 600-608 Mo.

Cedar Distributors of Popul OldfieH Says 1937 Cars Are Safest jit History of Industry By BARNEY OLDFIELD The- new cars for' 1937 are the safest automobiles ever built. For years manufacturers 1 4Aiave been accomplishing- great improvement in the safety factors of automobiles, such as the, introduction of all-steel bodies and r. 1 superior braking. This year the improvement- continues further in that jdirec- tion, tand the automobile ibuild-; ers have added more finely v. drawn but equally necessary, safety precautions, especially in the interior of; the cars.

Children and adult passengers have suffered) painful injuries, from being thrown. against projecting fixtures inside cars. pAuto- mobile engineers now have1 acted to reduce the- possibilities for such type of injury. This com? bination of interior safety design with the more vital safety equipment which has been developed through the ye.ars makes the -1937 machine the safest it is 'possible for human ingenuity to devise 1 Much Steel Used 6 in Auto Factories The automobile industry i is' the -largest user of steel in the States. It ranks first as a consum- er.

of the following forms of. the metal: Strip, bar, sheet, malleable iron and alloy steel. The industry also is the largest user of several (jtther i commodities, among them Keing gasoline, lubricating oil, rub- b.er, plate glass, nickel, lead and fiohair. I Tires on buses and, many pas- senger cars must perform con- tinually at temperatures as high as 225 degrees Go. uipment Avenue N.

W. Rapids, Iowa recently purchased the Street Depart Condition 'P 1 7 't-: Condition Kiuscatinc County Road System Muscatine County Road System iractorana lq January 1950 fMWllT Mint 5 LAR TRACTO RS VnlmpwA Kll 14 WtCwU XOASS MUm Sorfed Par CnU nnuiT aoans 4.3 Kllt-SvtM4 Track-Type Tractors Road Machinery Tourneau Scrapers Diesel Engines cotnrTY tbusix boads Unlmpiov4 scum 0.1 Put Cms, coxnrrr ram moans I txuttx xoasi KUu-lulKt oant. i 4 January I. PBIKAXT 10S 14.S comrrr M.tl t.t Par locAi 390.7 Unaurfaoad coinrTT xoass MilM tJnlmprortd and S3 Pr CaaU comrrr soaosw UA HUM- UnimproT4 i "4 Uawfod TUhr Cmt. if.

TERPILLAR DIESEL RD 4 TRACTOR Above is pictured ia tractor such as was from iis by the city of Muscatine for use by tOC AT. OOUXTT Mllaa loxfacad t34 Par Camt. ment. icax ootnrTT xoass i U.T1 KIIm artod .74 Ih Owl.