MICHIGAN ROADS AND FORESTS. 



ELECTRIC RAILWAY ADVANTAGES. 



"The advantages of electric railway service 

 are of an entirely different nature from those 

 of the steam railroads and the rapid develop- 

 ment of the country reached by the interur- 

 ban lines makes them the most popular and 

 1 of public service corporations. 



"The steam railroads are the arteries of 

 through commerce and have developed our 

 commercial centers. Klectric lines radiating 

 from these centers not only add immensely 

 to the advantages of the cities, but work out 

 local economies and benefits throughout their 

 entire routes. 



"l!y their construction the city merchants 

 have added trade territory and all other lines 

 i city business sho\\ a wonderful increase. 



ut the rural districts traversed by the ac- 

 commodating trolley are more directly bene- 

 fited by interurban service. 



"\\lu-n the electric line extends from a local 

 street car business further and further into the 

 country, invariably the merchants in the vil- 

 lages and at the crossroad^ sound the alarm 

 and foretell the coming devastation of their 

 trade. They prophecy that the cities will be- 

 come the direct markets and their business 

 be entirely absorbed. 



"After the line has been built it will be found 

 that these prophecies were true only in one 

 way. While a certain sort of trade is changed, 

 both the city department stores and the coun- 

 try merchants gain. The methods of con- 

 ducting business in the rural districts, how- 

 ever, will have been forced to an up-to-date 

 basis. Still every change in this direction 

 proves an economy. The country stores will 

 now be frequently visited, by the traveling 

 salesman, who can easily reach them. Being 

 in close touch with the jobbing centers they 

 may be supplied quickly, cheaply and con- 

 veniently with the quality of goods their cus- 

 tomers want. Fixed charges will be reduced 

 and visions of shelves loaded with 'dead stock' 

 will become nightmares of the past. The 

 business formerly given to the peddler's wag- 

 ons will be diverted to them. The farmers 

 now find it more convenient to buy at home 

 than from the mail order houses, and take 

 advantage of the opportunity. 



"The electric railway management is anxi- 

 ous to develop its territory and promptly sup- 

 plies shipping facilities. Sidings and stations 

 arc installed at suitable points. The electric 

 line is thus placed in a position to serve the 

 public in its two important provinces as a 

 carrier of passengers and a carrier of com- 

 modities. In both capacities it offers speed, 

 frequent service, convenience and economy. 



"To one not familiar with electric develop- 

 ment, the resulting advantages and improve- 

 ments are remarkable. At the different sid- 

 ings, grain elevators and grist mills are built 

 where the farmer finds a home market for his 

 produce. Dairymen, usually with their own 

 capital, put up creameries. To these cream- 

 eries the interurban cars haul milk directly 

 from the farms and the butter from the cream- 

 eries to the cities. The stockmen find an 

 economy in time and money by shipping their 

 dressed hogs and veal on the. early morning 

 freight cars, and themselves riding on the 

 passenger cars to the market, where they may 

 sell at a decided advantage. Poultry, eggs, 



celery, fruit, market garden products and other 

 Vegetables will be shipped in the same ceo 

 '' oniical- way. At suitable localities such.in- 



be 



dustries a> sugar beet plants and pickle fac- 

 tories are erected and supplied almost en- 

 tirely by the growers along the electric lines. 



"The farms along these lines will become 

 more desirable and by actual experience will 

 be doubled and trebled in value within two 

 01 three years from the opening of electric 

 railway service. 



"I'y the provisions of the new Michigan 

 railroad act, interurbans may now require a 

 steam railroad to allow a physical connection 

 and turn over its freight cars to be switched 

 by the electric lines direct to any of the sid- 

 irgs or stations along its route. This will 

 have a wonderful effect, especially on the 

 towns without steam railroad facilities, but 

 reached by interurban lines, as they are by 

 this act placed in a position to furnish their 

 shi^oers with increased accommodations. 



"The fact that frequent passenger cars are 

 run on interurban roads enables the parents 

 to give their children the much desired educa- 

 tion, while they may still live at home. Other 

 social opportunities provided by such lines 

 serve to make a rural residence much more 

 desirable. In sickness and emergencies the 

 value of the interurban is immeasurable. 



"Once the summer resortcrs find conven- 

 ient means of transportation to the lakes and 

 woods, heretofore' worthless property becomes 

 valuable at once. Hunters, fishermen and 

 other pleasure seekers with their families will 

 travel on the interurban cars to these resorts, 

 where they will buihl cottages and hotels, 

 leaviii" considerable money in the neighbor- 

 hood. The resort district is not to be lightly 

 looked upon by the farmers, for here is an 

 increased demand for the commodities which 

 they produce. The merchants, too, reap boun- 

 tifully from these resorts. 



"In Michigan several electric lines have been 

 projected that as yet are not constructed. 

 There are four or five of these lines that if 

 built would insure an immense advancement 

 in realty values, add immeasurable comfort 

 and convenience to the tributary residents, 

 develop a big increase in the business of the 

 merchants and a,t the same time show a rea- 

 sonable return to the investor. 



"Heretofore it has been almost impossible 

 to secure investors for a Michigan electric rail- 

 way, while in some other states new lines are 

 I being constructed rapidly. One reason for this 

 j condition is the fact that the policy in this 

 state toward interurbans has in many instances 

 been unwise. Take, for example, the question 

 of taxes. It will be several years before a new 

 electric line can develop sufficient traffic to 

 meet its gross expense. During this time it 

 needs every encouragement if it is to become 

 self-sustaining. Still, from the very start, 

 Michigan roads are crippled by heavy tax 

 charges. This serves at once to retard the 

 further improvement of the railway, to the det- 

 riment of the community as well as the stock- 

 holders. The assessed valuations of the inter- 

 urbans' real and personal property are in many 

 cases much higher than their actual worth, 

 while land and buildings through the same 

 districts are assessed at from 70 to 80 per cent 

 of the real value. 



"An entirely different policy should be fol- 

 lowed in connection with the lines. For at 

 least the first five years of their operation they 

 should be favored by taxing bodies so far as 

 possible. This will have a good result, as the 

 struggling electric road will not only be aided 

 in getting on to its feet, but it will be evident 

 that the state takes a kindly attitude oward 

 the interurbans and is anxious to, assist them 

 in every way. When this becomes generally 

 known investors will feel a confidence in Mich- 

 igan electric railway securities." C. A. Floyd, 

 General Passenger Agent Grand Rapids, Hol- 

 land & Chicago Railway. 



MICHIGAN'S NATIONAL FOREST. 



The proposal to create a national forest in 

 Michigan came to the federal government 

 from Congressman George A. Loud, wh > says 

 it was originated by his brother. Henry X. 

 Loud, of An Sable, who collected the data 



upon which the suggestion was founded. The 

 only step forester Pinchot has taken so far 

 is to recommend that the lands to be included 

 in this forest, if it is to be established, be 

 temporarily withdrawn from entry, so that 

 the speculators may not dash in ami home- 

 stead a lot of it in the mistaken notion thai 

 they can hold up the federal go\ eminent for 

 cash. 



This means that until the forest .service 

 has time to examine the lands in question no 

 one may preempt a homestead there, the rec 

 immcndation for withdrawal having been 

 acted on. The lands included in this proposed 

 h'lesl ail lie in Josco county, and the total 

 acreage of government land available is :;(i.<ior>. 

 The examination by the forest service will 

 not be made before spring. If the report 

 from it is favorable the president will then 

 probably issue a proclamation declaring the 

 lands a national forest, and from that time 

 forward the federal government will haw 

 charge and will place the forest in the hands 

 of a supervisor, and a suitable corps of forest 

 rangers, who will keep out fires and see that 

 reforestation is in due time carried on. 



POINTER FOR MICHIGAN. 



C. C. Andrews, the forestry commissioner 

 of Minnesota, has recommended a plan ot 

 reforestation, which he hopes to have adopted 

 by the amendment of the constitution of the 

 state. The proposal is as follows: 



"To secure a sustained yield of timber for 

 the use of the people of this state the proper 

 officers shall annually levy and collect a tax 

 of three-tenths of one mill on each dollar 

 of the taxable property within this state, the 

 proceeds of which shall be used for the pur-i 

 chase of land for the state adapted for forest 

 at not over $5 per acre, and for the produc- 

 tion and maintenance thereon of forest ac- 

 cording to forestry principles. .Unexpended 

 balances shall not lapse, but constitute a fund 

 for forestry purposes. The timber produced 

 thereon shall be sold at a fair valuation, and 

 the revenue therefrom be paid into the state 

 treasury; except that one-quarter 1 of the net 

 revenue shall lie paid to the towns in which 

 the land is situated, in aid of public schools 

 and roads. Should any tract acquired be found 

 better adapted for any other purpose than the 

 production of timber, it may be sold or leased 

 and the proceeds used for the acquiring or 

 developing forestry land. Until otherwise di- 

 rected by the legislature, which may supple- 

 ment these provisions with necessary enact 

 meiits. the state forestry board shall draw and 

 disburse the money hereby provided and pur- 

 chase, manage and control the lands and for- 

 ests. No moiH'3' shall be paid lor any tract 

 until the attorney general shall certify to t in- 

 validity of the title. It shall be competent 

 for two successive regular legislatures, by a 

 two-thirds vote of each bouse, to alter or repeal 

 any of these provisions." 



CUT SIX MILLION FEET. 



About 0,000,000 feet of lumber was cut at 

 the sawmill of Gow & Campbell in North Mus- 

 kegon during the last season. At the present 

 time the indications are that the mill will run 

 again next season and that the cut will be 

 larger, if anything. "We are very well satis 

 lied with the cut this year," says Mayor John 

 Campbell, a member of the firm. "The- season 

 has been a most successful one for us, and we 

 expect to run next year." 



The supply of logs at the mill is about 

 exhausted at the present time. The cut took 

 nearly all of the timber, but it is now expected 

 that there will be a renewal of the supply 

 soon after the first of the year. 



"\Ye look for a larger cut, if anything," says 

 Mr. Campbell. "We have no log camps of 

 our own to speak 01 but are buying our timber 

 in the northern part of the state, mostly in 

 Kalkaska county. What the cut will be next 

 year cannot be predicted at the present time. 

 There will be plenty of logs after New Year's, 

 however." 



