MICHIGAN ROADS AND FORESTS 



Here is a Potent Factor in all Good Roads Work 



The Watson bottom Dumping Wagon will be found in the forefront of all road improve- 

 ment. There is no wagon built which can show an equal record in durability and strength. 



The points of superiority in Watson Wagons are so many that we cannot outline them in 

 this space. Send forour new catalog today. Investigate Watson Wagons when you are about to purchase any 

 dumping wagons, for theyare first in improved features and proven value. 



Watson Wagon Co., Canastota, N. Y. 



Michigan Road Makers' Association 



W. W. Todd, Jackson, President; P. T. Colgrove, Hastings, First Vice-P resident ; C. C. Rosenbury, Bay City, Second 

 Vice-President ; E. N. Hines, Detroit, Secretary; E. B. Smith, Detroit, Treasurer. 



Board of Governors: Royal T. Taylor, Cheboygan; D. L. Case, Detroit; Frank F. Rogers, Lansing; W. W. 

 Trayes, Hancock. 



DIDN'T LIFT EARLE'S SCALP. 



Representative \Vhelan will have to return 

 :iawassee county without the scalp of 

 Highway Commissioner Earle dangling at his 

 belt as a token of his pro\M-s.$ in legislative 

 battle. When he made his light to take 

 the committee on roads and bridges the bill 

 which abolishes the department, he could not 

 even get a roll call to ascertain just how many 

 friends he has in the house. It was a sorrow- 

 ful occasion for Whelan. Ever since he ar- 

 rived in Lansing he has been telling what he 

 oiing to do to Earle because of that road 

 in Yernon township. Shiawassee county, which 

 \Vhelan seems to think is not just what it 

 ought to be. but he had to stand by and see 

 the bill killed without even a display of mourn- 

 ing by any of his colleague-. 



There was not even an oratorical combat. 

 Mr. Whelan was allowed to ari>e. wave his 

 arms, rock back and forth on his heels and 

 until he became tired, whereupon the 

 house voted down his motion and the deed was 

 done, and incidentally Mr. Whelan has learned 

 his lesson. 



Largely signed petitions protesting against 

 the passage of the Whelan bill were sent in 

 from Luce. Midland, Monroe. Wa>htenaw. 

 Mackinac. Van Buren. Branch. Mu.-l, 

 Schoolcraft. Sanilac. Missaukee. Sagin;: 

 Clair. Presque Isle. Otsego. O:-coda. Osceola, 

 Gladwin. Houghton, Clinton. Emmet. Mont- 

 morency. Ottawa. Roscommon. Shiav. 

 Ontonagon. Wexford. St. Joseph. Macomb, 

 Livingston. Montcalm and Xewaygo. 



' asking Representative Chamber 

 that district, to introduce a bill into the Michi- 

 gan legislature regulating the size of loads to 

 be drawn upon the roads of the county to two 

 and one-half tons on a three-inch tire, three 

 and one-half tons, on a four-inch tire, and rive 

 tons on a live-inch tire. A good many new- 

 roads have been built in Gratiot county the 

 past year. ;;nd the above act. the farmers 

 think, would help to keep them in first-class 

 condition. The meeting also went on record 

 as favoring the present system of road laws. 



OCEANA TO HAVE MORE GOOD ROADS 



George C. Myers. Claud I H. E. 



Sumner. county road commissioners of Oce- 

 ana. have recommended the raising of - 

 for use by the commi- luring the en- 



suing year, and that $2,000 per mile b. 

 on the following roads: Weare township, one 

 mile north from Fry's corners, connecting with 

 stone road already built to Hart town line 

 between sections 32 and 3:;. In Ferry, com- 

 mencing at northeast corner n 19. 

 thence running in a southeasterly direction 

 to center of section 20. thence in an easterly 

 direction for balance of mile. One mile on 

 town line between the townships of Grant and 

 Shelby, same being on the nort: 

 tion five. 



WOULD LIMIT SIZE OF LOADS. 

 At a big meeting of representative farmers 

 from all over Gratiot county, resolutions were 



ner and abolish the state reward for 

 good roads now in vogue. Both gentlemen 

 are in favor of this bill and their addresses 

 were along that line. Resolutions were 

 adopted by the farmers favoring passage of 

 the Whalen bill and also the Bryant bill, 

 which provides for the repeal of the present 

 township system of road working and the re- 

 turn to the old pathmaster system. 



HIGHWAY COMMISSIONER'S FIGURES. 



A synopsis of the annual report of State 



Highway Commissioner Horatio S. Earle 



Receipts. 



From state appropriations 



HMI.J For state reward $ 20,000 



For department e\i> . 10,000 



I'.ior, F -eward 



For department expenses lo.ooc 



I'.iOT For state reward ! 



' department exp . 10.000 



For state reward 150.oou 



For department ex; 10,000 



From automobile tax is.ooo 



:al receipts $37^.000 



Expenditures (covering same period). 



Road institutes 



Map making 1.200 



Publication of laws 



Biennial reports 3,000 



Road promotion 



Salaries 



Inspection 



Bridge and other work 



Total 



Balance in expense fund $l 1.940 



State reward appropriate 'ii 



Paid out in rewards 



Balance 



A BACKWARD STEP. 



A good roads meeting, held in Ceresco. Ca!- 

 houn county, was largely attended and much 

 enthusiasm was manifested. 



Representative J. M. Hatch addressed the 

 gathering, as did Representative WhaK 

 Shiawassee county, the father of the famous 

 Whalen bill, the purpose of which 

 away with the office of .-tate high 



GOOD ROADS SAVING. 



Shall Uncle Sam help to build good roads 

 for the farmer? 



President-elect Taft says he favors selling 

 bonds to pay for internal improvements. If 

 this policy prevails, good roads will be one 

 form such expenditures will take. 



The importance of good roads to the farmer 

 is suggested in the following considerations: 



There are in the United States 2.150,000 

 miles of roads, of which only 150.000 miles 

 are improved roads. This is about seven ner 

 cent. 



The average haul by the farmer in getting 

 ms products to market is nine miles. It 



:its more to haul a bushel of wheat that 

 n:ne miles than it does to send that same 

 i bushel ot wheat 3,100 miles, the distance from 

 -New \ork to Liverpool. Or this wheat will 

 go half across our continent for less than it 

 costs to carry it this starting journey of nine 

 miles. 



A load of 600 pounds requires two horses 

 Ive hours to haul to market on an unimproved 

 road, while a load of 1.200 pounds can be 

 hauled by one horse in two hours the same 

 distance on an improved road. 



Figures collected by the department of agn- 

 cu.ture covering the crop year of 1905-1906 



ipw that the crops hauled from the places 

 where they originated to the shipping points 

 ting of barley, corn, cotton, flaxseed 

 hemp, hops, oats, beans, rice, tobacco, wheat 

 and wool, amounted to -:>.4-:.tino,000 pounds. 

 This does not include the products of the 

 torests or mines, nor the fruits, nor truck- 

 garden produce. 



An estimate made by the interstate com- 

 merce commission places the total amount of 

 products hauled at . >0.000 pounds. 



On the basis of these figures improved roads 

 would result in a saving annually of about 



The question of the adoption of the countv 

 n.a.ls system will be Mibmilted in Clan- countv 



