FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 41 



from the time that we get this new bridge built into the old one you will 

 find that the roads will be fifty per cent better than they are to-day. 



The present Michigan highway commission, of which I have the honor 

 to be president, was created by the legislature of 1901 and appointed by 

 Governor Bliss. It was given the right to pay any salaries that pleased 

 them, and be to as much expense as they liked, but with the greater 

 honor of paying all of these themselves, or in other words to do two 

 years' work free gratis. We have done it, and I have had my good 

 roads train in the field four weeks in 1901 and nineteen weeks in 1902. 



I am not a millionare and could not have done this, if it had not been 

 for the help that I have received. The Pere Marquette took my train 

 anywhere I wished to go, free, showing that they too are awake to the 

 needs of improved roads and the benefits to be derived in their posses- 

 sion. The machinery manufacturers furnished me the machinery free.. 

 This gave rise to the report that I was selling road machinery, which 

 is false, and the papers that gave out the report knew it was when they 

 made it. 



I have issued a report and good roads' text-book of ove" 100 pages 

 and have guaranteed to the State printer that, if the State will not 

 pay for the printing, I will. I shall be glad to send one of these reports 

 to anyone that will write to me for one. They can also be obtained 

 from either your representative or senator in the legislature. 



The commission cannot continue its gratis work any longer, either 

 the State will create a highway department and pay the legitimate ex- 

 penses of running it, or all systematic work must stop. 



The roads are for John, for James, and for Tom, and the only way 

 that James and Tom can be made to help John in the expense of build- 

 ing them is through State aid, to the end that all property shall be 

 taxed to build roads over which the owners of all property have equal 

 privileges, and State aid can never be handled without a State high- 

 way department, so, if you are in favor of one, you are of both and if 

 against one against both. 



BUILDING AND MAINTAINING HIGHWAYS. 



BY FRANK F. ROGERS^ PORT HURON. 



Any practical discussion of this subject in Michigan must ever have 

 in view two important considerations. First, the present road laws of 

 Michigan and the officers available for road building and maintenance 

 under their provisions. Second, the fact that the greater part of all 

 the roads that will ever be built in Michigan have not only been laid out 

 and established, but have had many (iollars spent upon them, both for 

 construction and maintenance. The problem is, therefore, very different 

 from what it would be were ideal laws to be created and new roads to 

 be located and built in a country where nothing of the kind had been 

 attempted. 



For these reasons it is necessary to advocate no schemes, at this 

 time, which cannot be carried out by existing road officers, nor which 



