MICHIGAN ROADS AND FORESTS 



The bids called for were for clearing, stump- 

 ing and turnpiking eight miles of highway. 

 There were eleven bidders, some of them giv- 

 ing figures on the whole contract ami some 

 for certain portions of the work. 



The contract for the first four miles of the 

 road, three miles between the city of Iron- 

 wood and the city of Bessemer and one mile 

 east of Bessemer, was awarded to James Ox- 

 nam of Iron wood, whose bid of $9,306.30 was 

 the lowest for this portion of the road. The 

 next two miles, which are in Bessemer town- 

 ship, were given to John Hanousek of Ram- 

 whose bid was $-1.922.20. The next mile 

 went to Henry Poykcnen for $1,700, and the 

 last mile to Andrew Katane for $1,600. These 

 latter are two farmers who live near the piece 

 of road for which they submitted bids. The 

 figures as given above are on the engineer's 

 estimates of the amount of ground to be 

 moved, and do net include bridges or culverts. 

 The grading work will be done at once, and 

 then the road will be allowed to "season" for 

 a year before the top dressing or crushed rock 

 is put on. It is said that this method obviates 

 the danger of the read settling after it is fin- 

 ished. 



USE SURPLUS FUNDS ON ROADS. 



The department of public instruction, sup- 

 ported by a number of the leading politicians 

 and newspapers of the >tate are just now in- 

 dulging in an attempt to solve the primary 

 money situation. The income has increased 

 in greater proportion than has the needs of 

 the schools of the state and as a result various 

 plans have ben proposed for diverting a cer- 

 tain portion of such moneys to other pur- 

 poses. So far no satisfactory plan has been 

 evolved for such diversion, the arguments be- 

 ing of a character that not only aroused ob- 

 jections from various interests, at the same 

 time all being confronted with the constitu- 

 tional enjoinder, which at the present time 

 denies the use of such funds for other than 

 school purposes for the payment of salaries 

 onlv. 



The editor of the Clare Courier suggests 

 that a portion of the tax be diverted to the 

 building of permanent state highways. He 

 says: There can be no more justice in de- 

 claring that all of the corporate moneys paid 

 into the state treasury should go to the pur- 

 pose of education than it would be to insist 

 that inasmuch as a large portion of the tramps 

 and indigents come from the cities the city 

 tax payers should foot the bills for their 

 maintainance. Moreover, it cannot be fairly 

 argued that because the farmer is compelled 

 to travel the country roads in going to mar- 

 ket or to church the burden cf the maintain- 

 ance of such roads should be entirely assessed 

 against him. The constitutional provision for 

 free schools in Michigan renders it encumbent 

 upon every taxpayer to bear his share of the 

 school load; likewise dees the construction 

 and maintainance of suitable highways so 

 strongly class itself among the imperative 

 needs of the whole people that reason and 

 fairness would assert the obligation of every 

 citizen to provide his share- of the expense. 



By legislative enactment the railroads and 

 other public service corporations are com- 

 pelled to annually pay into the state treasury 

 certain specified sums. By the same token 

 it is the right of the state to say that such 

 moneys shall be set apart for a particular pur- 

 pose. The constitutional provision that cer- 

 tain moneys shall be devoted to education is 

 not subject to just criticsm, but in consider- 

 ing the rights of all taxpayers, and when the 

 original purpose has been served, should not 

 the surplus, if any, be diverted to a channel 

 whereby that taxpayer should receive the 

 same proportionate benefits that are claimed 

 by the local taxpayer, in whom the right is 

 as clearly vested to govern such tax almost 

 wholly within themselves? Upon the assump- 

 tion that the corporate tax is today based upon 

 a value nearly if not quite equal to that upon 

 which other taxes are levied could there be 

 a fairer solution of the problem cf handling 



A PORTABLE DUMP BOX 



See that Truss 



THAT WILL FIT ANY WAGON GEAR 



Just the thing with which to build roads, as it will handle sand, gravel, crushed 

 stone, etc., in a superior manner by dumping it in a heap or speading it if desired. 



This box can be removed by simply lifting it off, and the gear is instantly avail- 

 able for other purposes. 



Insist on your teamsters, using an Everett as it will save you dollars. No need of 

 stopping the team and no extra men needed when unloading. 



l"-ed by the 17. S. Government on the Pnnma Canal, Went Point Military Academy 

 and Government Park at Washington, D. C. 



C'atal<> Hint Full Information Youm for the 



EVERETT MANUFACTURING COMPANY 



78 Lake Street 



Newark, New York 



that surplus than to distribute it through the 

 state to be utilized in the construction of 

 highways? The question of good roads has 

 long since passed the argumentative stage; it 

 is agreed by every interest that it is the serious 

 problem confronting the commonwealth. Good 

 roads benefit the farmer, the merchant, and 

 the railroads in like proportion, therefore can 

 there be a fairer or more sane solution of the 

 question than the provision of means whereby 

 such public utility taxes in surplus of the 

 legitimate needs of the schools be diverted 

 to that great and imperative need the build- 

 ing of roads? 



The surplus money should be distributed 

 the same as the school primary funds at pres- 

 ent. That such a plan would work wonder in 

 the development of a vast portion of north 

 Michigan cannot be gainsaid, just as it would 

 increase the value cf every southern Michigan 

 farm adjacent or near to which was a piece 

 of bad road made' good- 



By this means it would appear as if all the 

 interests might benefit and all sections might 

 be treated with fairness. 



MUST IMPROVE BAD ROADS. 



Rural free mail delivery on routes one and 

 eight out of Marshall on the river road, terri- 

 torial road and the south river read will be 

 discontinued if these roads are not put in 

 proper condition within thirty days. This is 

 the substance of an order received at the 

 Marshall postoffice from the third assistant 

 postmaster general. Notice of this order has 

 been forwarded to Highway Commissioner 

 Bert Pattison, who is held responsible for the 

 tearing up of the reads. 



Burdell township in Osceola county in which 

 township Tustin is located has voted to bond 

 for $10,000 for good roads. 



It is said that Mascn county will build 13 

 miles of good roads this season. 



Roadscrapers, drawn by a powerful trac- 

 tion engine, were brought into active use by 

 Highway Commissioner James R. Briggs of 

 Eaton Rapids township, Eaton county, in put- 

 ting the highways of that township in proper 

 shape for travel. The idea worked out splend- 

 idly, as a result of which Eaton Rapids will 

 have as good highways as any township in 

 that section cf the state. All of the roads in 

 the township have been gone over with the 

 big scraper. 



Sinclair street, Escanaba, has been surfaced 

 with Tarvia. 



GOOD ROADS IN CASS. 



LaGrange township, Cass county, will build 

 two miles of state reward roads. One mile of 

 the road is to be constructed on the north and 

 south road running through Whitmanville. 

 Half a mile is to run north from the old Kings- 

 bury farm and the other half mile is to run 

 east from the corporation limits of Cassopolis 

 to the Penn township line. This is the Dia- 

 mond Lake road. 



Xewberg was the first township in Cass 

 county to attempt state reward roads, and it 

 is now in readiness to ccmplete the work and 

 receive the allowance from the state. If La- 

 Grange meets with success it is believed that 

 other townships will take the matter up and 

 that an era of good roads will result. 



A VALUABLE MAP. 



A work of considerable value to automcbil- 

 ists, and all who are fond of excursions 

 throughout the country, is beng prepared by 

 County Road Commissioner Green of Sagi- 

 naw. Taking the available county maps as a 

 basis, the commissioner is having tracings 

 made in deep black of stone road outlines, 

 with their feeders and connecting links, show- 

 ing the entire system throughout Saginaw 

 county, in which there are miles upon miles 

 of improved roads. 



When it is completed, as it is expected to be 

 in a short time, copies will be printed for dis- 

 tribution. The completed tracings will show 

 every mile of stone road in Saginaw county 

 and will also show connecting roads leading 

 into other counties, and will form a satisfac- 

 tory guide. 



WANTS TO GET OUT OF DEAD LIST. 

 Two miles of state road is to be built be- 

 tween Mayville and Silverwocd. Don't you 

 think it is time Xorth Branch got busy? 

 What's the use of letting all the good things 

 go by? We've had corduroy, mud, sod, and 

 goodness knows what other kinds except 

 good roads for thirty cr forty years, and now 

 it is time we took a hitch in our pants- and 

 got something decent to drive on. All the 

 towns around are getting state roads, and the 

 time is coming, and coming very soon, when 

 the towns without them will be in the "dead" 

 list. Xorth Branch Gazette. 



Highway Commissioner Charles Mugfcrd 

 has recommended that $20,000 be expended 

 the coming summer in good roads for Cal- 

 umet township, Houghton county. 



