MICHIGAN 



ROADS 



FORESEES 



DETROIT, MICH., MARCH, 1910. 



Michigan Road Makers' Association 



W. W. Todd, Jackson, President; P. T. Colgrove, Hastings, First Vice-President ; 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. 



$1,000,000 For Good Roads 



In Michigan in 1910 



State Highway Commission 



Doing a Splendid Work 



The county road institute held at Clare Feb. 23 

 closed a series of winter institutes held for each 

 county in the lower peninsula. This year the 

 State Highway Department has taken advantage 

 of the amendment to the old highway law which 

 required these institutes to be held in every 

 county in the state and in the case of many coun- 

 ties had called the highway commissioners of ad- 

 joining counties to the school of instruction in 

 road building held in a central county. In nearly 

 every instance this has been found a very profit- 

 able arangement and has resulted in better insti- 

 tutes and larger attendance as well as greatly re- 

 ducing this very fatiguing work of the depart- 

 ment. 



Each highway commissioner is entitled under 

 the law to one day's pay and actual necessary 

 traveling expenses in attending these institutes 

 and this feature of the law has had a good effect 

 upon the attendance. These meetings are of 

 great benefit to roadmakers throughout the state. 

 They take advantage of the opportunity afforded 

 them to ask questions and be set right on the 

 many varied problems confronting them. No 

 two localities have the same problems. There- 

 fore, the greatest good resulting from these in- 

 stitutes is supplying the individual needs of many 

 different communities. 



To make these institutes profitable requires a 

 vast amount of energy and patience, together 

 with a wonderful store of technical knowledge of 

 road building and of the governing laws. A rnan, 

 to conduct these meetings properly, must be in 

 fact, if not in. name, lawyer, expert road builder 

 and general adviser to 1.250 highway commis- 

 sioners and through them to the great interurban 

 populace of Michigan. It is no small matter to 

 hold a position of this kind and supply each 

 and every requirement. 



To carry on this work successfully requires a 

 vast amount of detail work for the state highway 

 department and a goodly amount of the tax- 

 payers' money. Although Commissioner Ely has 

 authorized the use of about $300 of the funds re- 

 ceived from auto licenses for this purpose, the 

 total cost of the institutes for the lower peninsula 

 will aggregate nearly $fiOO, exclusive of salaries, 

 and involves the time of three persons and travel- 

 ing a distance of nearly 1.500 miles. Notwith- 

 standing all these facts the State Highway De- 

 partment feels amply repaid for its work and be- 

 lieves that the people of Michigan are repaid 

 many times for the money expended which will 

 result in the betterment of the wagon roads of 

 the state. 



In addition to these institutes the State High- 

 way Department has upon request sent its engi- 

 neers to many points in the state to speak at pub- 

 lic gatherings where bonding propositions and 



new road building projects were being promul- 

 gated. 



The Department now exercises the same super- 

 vision over the construction of bridges upon 



request that it does over roads thus giving the -j am asked man times each week . athi 



people of any community the benefit of its ex- . . ,, 



perience in this all important feature of road dolng xn good roads ? sa y s H nrtio S. Earle. 



improvement. It is to be hoped that the next president of the National Convict Labor Good 



legislature will provide for a bridge engineer, an Roads association. "Here are some figures which 



investment which will save the people of Mich- spea k for themselves. They comprise the ap- 



igan many thousands of dollars a year, and ... , . , 



result in better bridges for the same amount of PP"ations so far authorized for the building of 



money as now invested. All plans and specifica- Bood ads this year: 



tions for bridges should be drawn or at least Alger county $ 7,936.87 



approved by the State Highway Department, and Alpena county 15,699.45 



this Department should also be in a position to Baraga county 6,000.00 



see that such plans and specifications are carried Bay county 51,464.00 



out to the letter of the contract. Then blank Cheboygan county 14,903.00 



form contracts should also be furnished by the Chippewa county 24,692.79 



same state authority. The greatest possible Delta county 23^000.00 



measure of help to each individual need seems Dickinson county 31,137.09 



to be Mr. Ely's policy and it is not to be won- Emmet county 15^498.13 



dered at that the mileage of permanently im- Genesee county 16,865.52 



proved roads in Michigan is increasing by leaps Gladwin county 5,998.31 



and bounds. Gogebic county 30,00.00 



Grand Traverse county 15,485.23 



NEW HIGHWAY IN CLARE. losco county 4,000.00 



It is expected that the townline road between Iron county 15,000.00 



Hayes and Hatton in Clare County will be Kalamazoo county 52,214.00 



opened up this spring. As soon as the snow Kalkaska county 13,244.79 



goes off the survey will be made, after which the Luce county 3,700.00 



work of clearing the right-of-way will be started Manistee county 20,923.02 



immediately. Hatton township is ready to do Marquette county 40,000.00 



her part and so is Hayes. When the proposed Mason county 11,000.00 



highway is finished farmers will be able to get Mecosta county ." 13,493.00 



to Harrison without climbing mountains. Good ' Menominee county 15,742.00 



roads, good markets and right prices are what Missaukee county 2.100.00 



bring the farmers to town. Show us a town Muskegon county 33,792.22 



without the support of the farmers from the sur- Ontpnagon county 13.354.00 



rounding districts and we will show you a place Saginaw county 75,981.84 



which never prospers.. The new highway passes Schoolcraft county 5,793.04 



the county farm. Wayne county 132,646.93 



Wexford county $14,500, by tax, 



OSCODA'S NON-PROGRESSIVES. $5,500 donation) 



An effort is being made to have the county Grand Rapids Good Roads District. . *W*M 



road system again submitted to the people of Caro Good Roads District 



Oscoda county. It is a matter of regret that State reward ; 



there should be any body of such unprogressive Redford township, Wayne county 50,000.00 



residents in the county. The blessings of good Detroit citizens' subscription for 



roads are too well established. Michigan Roads Rya' O ak township, Oakland 



and Forests does not believe that the opponents county ... ......... 16,000.00 



of good roads in Oscoda will be able to muster Estimated in other townships in the 



enough support to make their petition effective. sta te 



At a meeting of the taxpayers of Allegan Grand total for good roads in 1010. $1,124,665.2:: 



township, Allegan county, it was voted to "In 1910 by dint of hard work I was able to 



abandon the present one-district system and take raise by subscription enough money in Port 



up the four-district system, and give it a fair Huron to build the first mile of water bond 



trial. The present system has been tried out for macadam road in Michigan, and I have taken a 



two years and found to be unsatisfactory. The great deal of pride in tabulating the above figures 



change will be made by the town board and the that the people of Michigan may know that the 



highway commissioner, who are authorized to do state has in ten years advanced from no money 



so by law. for good roads to over one million a year. 



