MICHIGAN 



ROADS ^FORESTS 



DETROIT, MICH., SEPTEMBER, 1910. 



Michigan State Good Roads Association 



P. T. COLGROVE, Hastings, President. N. P. HULL, Diamondale, Vice-President. 



THOMAS SATTLER, Jackson, Secretary and Treasurer. 



EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 



H. S. EARLE, Detroit. P. T. COLGROVE, Hastings. W. W. TODD, Jackson. 



HIGH PRAISE FOR 



KALAMAZOO'S SYSTEM 



High praise is accorded the "Kalamazoo 

 Idea" the methods of rcad^building inaugurat- 

 ed by the county highway commission, by 

 George D. Marshall, government superintend- 

 f road construction, in his report to his 

 Miperior, Vernon M. Pierce, chief engineer of 

 the office of public roads, Washington, D. C. 

 Supt. Marshall's report in full is as follows: 



Please find herewith my final report of work 

 done in Kalamazoo ccunty since my assign- 

 ment here on March 28th, 1910. 



Having referred in my report dated April 

 7th, 1910 to Legislation (state), History, 

 (local) and Organization which were factors 

 in forming the present board of county read 

 commissioners and providing the county road 

 ^ystem under which they are now operating. 

 I will not consider them again here. 



Of necessity appropriation involving the 

 expenditure of $50.000 to $60.000 should not 

 be entered upon lightly, but deserves careful 

 consideration. 



That a board of three commissioners, here- 

 unfamiliar with read construction, 

 could so well apportion this sum among 16 

 townships reflects credit on their ability. 



Their preliminary estimate has, in almost 

 every case, found them on the right side of 

 the ledger, when compared with the actual 

 cost cf construction. 



About 16 miles of road have been completed 

 >ince beginning operations April 13th, divided 

 as follows: By contract, 7.4 miles; prison 

 labor 3.6 miles; hired labor, under supervision 

 f .Iccal superintendents, 5 miles. 



In addition there are now under construc- 

 tion some 9 miles, by contract, 2 miles; prison 

 labor one mile; hired labor 6 miles. 



Four men in different sections of the county 

 have been instructed, and will continue as 

 superintendents next year. For cost data, 

 equipment, etc.. on work reported, by Mr. 

 Fleming, I would respectfully refer you to the 

 commissioners' report, a copy of which will 

 be sent to your office. As suggested in a 

 previous summary of the situation, specifica- 



tions of the State Department and cross sec- 

 tions provided by them have been adhered 

 to, with the exception of 2.4 miles where the 

 metal track wa- widened to 15 feet. It is prob 

 able this width will be adcpted as the stand- 

 ard, on all reads n-ext yeai 



You are doubtless interested in what has 

 become widely known as "Kalamazoo Idea." 

 This scheme, of working county prisoners on 

 roads, devised by Chairman W. M. Bryant 

 has proved to be a success in every way. The 

 number of prisoners to serve time in the 

 county jail has gradually been reduced from 

 about 2,900 during the first three months of 

 1909, until last month there were only three 

 shovelers available for our road camp. 



That the -"Idea" hclds good from a labor 

 point of view is established by Mr. Fleming's 

 (object lesson road) reports. All work so re- 

 ported has been done by county prisoners. 



An additional incentive to gocd behavior 

 and faithful service in the shape of one day's 

 pay $1.25 per week was worked out by Chair- 

 man Bryant and adopted in June. 



Of course the moral and physical effort of 

 this open air treatment, compared to a term 

 in jail, cannct be over estimated. 



All the roads constructed this year, though 

 of excellent material, need a season's wear to 

 thoroughly compact them. I have suggested 

 to the commissioners that inequalities develop- 

 ing in the spring should be filled and the 

 entire surface rolled with their ten ten roller. 



In closing I wish to remark on the complete 

 and intelligent co-operation afforded me by 

 the Commissioners, W. M. Bryant, F. H. 

 Rohnet and J. T. Burns, County Clerk Edwin 

 \V. Vosburg and the newspapers of Kalama- 

 z o. I believe the sentiment for modern 

 read construction backed by Chairman Bryant 

 and the host of firm believers in the system 

 in this county, will bear fruit for years to come 

 in improved highways throughout Southern 

 Michigan. Any such great public improve- 

 ment merits the support cf city and county 

 residents alike, even to the sacrifice of private 

 interest. 



Respectfully submitetd, 



GEO. W. MARSHALL, 



Supt. of Road Const. 



HON. WM. LIVINGSTONE. 



President of the Dime Savings Bank of De- 

 troit, chairman of the Executive Council of 

 the American Bankers Association and Presi- 

 dent of the Lake Carriers' Association, who 

 is a good friend of the good roads movement 



ROADS IN NORTHERN PART OF STATE 

 A well known business man of Benton Har- 

 bor has just returned from an automobile trip 

 to points in the northern part of the state, and 

 gives a good idea of what the people in that 

 section are doing in the improvement of the 

 roads. "The people in the northern part of 

 the state are taking advantage of state aid for 

 gcod roads, and are building many miles of 

 stone roads. From Holland to South Haven 

 a distance of 35 miles, the roads are much 

 better than those in this locality. As also are 

 the roads from Muskegon to Whitehall, a 

 distance of 18 miles, a large part of the road 

 being stone and gravel. 



ECKFORD GETS STATE AWARD. 

 After viewing a mile cf macadam road built 

 in Eckford township, Calhoun County, in the 

 vicinity of Brace Lake, the state highway 

 department has signified its satisfaction by 

 placing an O. K. on the work. The funds for 

 the work were donated by Marshalls million- 

 aire manufacturer, F. A. Stuart, and the town- 

 ship will receive $1.000 state award. A second 

 mile will probably also get the award when 

 it is completed, which will be in a few weeks. 



