MICHIGAN ROADS AND FORESTS. 



Michigan Road flakers' 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. 



PLEA FOR GOOD ROADS 



IN LENA WEE COUNTY 



Arc roads of practical construction an im- 

 portant factor in the development of our com- 

 mercial, agricultural, social and educational 

 interests? asks W. O. Palmer, secretary of 

 the Adrian Industrial Association. We might 

 conclude that but one answer \voul_d be forth- 

 coming, yet an examination of the facts would 

 cau>e us tu think far differently. 



It is true that much experimental work was 

 ncces-ary when the building of roads was 

 hrst undertaken. Vast sums of money and 

 arduous labor on the part of those who led 

 out in the work have been expended. .Today 

 all who are familiai with the subject will ad- 

 mit practical methods have been evolved, so 

 that one can build a first-class piece of road 

 with no uncertainty of satisfactory results. 



Notwithstanding the fact that a good road- 

 way i> acceptable to every farmer, yet to se- 

 cure the co-operation of those niost directly 

 benefited, an educational campaign is neces- 

 Miry. The question as to whether the adja- 

 cent town or city is not benefited more largely 

 than the farmer must be satisfactorily an- 

 swered. Perhaps a number of citizens own 

 and operate automobiles, and the farmer does 

 not propose to assist in building a road for 

 their use. Then many other objections are 

 i iff cred with the result that in but few locali- 

 ties has even a beginning been possible. 



\n equitable distribution of initial cost of 

 construction and maintenance has been a prob- 

 lem, and as an ideal plan could not be found 

 at the outset, we travel along in the old rut. 

 It is now contended that the government 

 should supply the funds and with the aid of 

 the state rebuild the main arteries. 



While many practical suggestions have been 

 offered and agitation continues, shall \ve re- 

 main content with the present condition of 

 our roads in Lenawee county? There is no 

 middle ground, we must strengthen our inter- 

 nal resources, especially those fundamentally 

 vital to our growth and development, or suffer 

 from a retrograding policy of inertia, waiting 

 for ideal conditions that may never come. 



'While much has been said for and against 

 the County Good Roads Law, yet a careful 

 analysis of its provisions must appeal to the 

 citizens of Lenawee county as a just and 

 equitable system. That is, in its application 

 it provides for an equitable distribution of 

 cost among those who are immediately bene- 

 fited. I'n a broader sense of equity, however, 

 government should participate. But as 

 we have no option at the present moment, is 

 it not a fact that far greater loss is involved 

 by this policy of procrastination? 



We have evidence, multiplied, of the work- 

 ing out of this law in other counties and not 

 only has good resulted, as it always must, to 

 the agricultural and commercial interests, but 

 enhancement in realty values and general ac- 

 tivity in all lines have been favorably affected 

 iiy this new impulse. 



This subject is essentially one of enlightened 

 self-interest. Ts it then too much to ask that 

 we give the County Good Roads Law a trial 

 at the first opportunity offered? If the preju- 

 diced mind will be so magnanimous as to per- 

 mit a demonstration, the skeptical to exercise 

 faith which will produce substance, and the 

 almost-persuaded will join the confident ones. 

 we can bear some fruit in one season. 



There is no question that good roads in all 

 parts of the country will represent a saving of 

 hundreds of millions of dollars. Out of more 



than :3, ono. (Kio miles of roads in the United 

 States, less than eight per cent of the total are 

 in the class known as "improved roads." 



' About 90 per cent of all the products of the 

 country is hauled by wagon. Statistics show 



i that the average haul over wagon roads is 

 eight miles and the average cost to be 25 cents 

 a ton per mile. Good roads would reduce this 

 cost to I!' cents per ton mile. 



From the standpoint of economy we should 

 be encouraged to waive our skepticism, preju- 

 dice and fear of being required to do a little 

 more than our share, that a beginning in good 

 road building in Lenawee county may be made. 

 One important consideration should be care- 

 fully weighed. The rural free delivery system 

 of the postal service now covers over 925,000 

 miles of dirt roads which carriers traverse 

 every week day. We demand that in the con- 

 duct of government affairs, sound business 

 principles shall govern the deficit, which is 

 constantly growing. The department feels jus- 

 tified in withdrawing rural free delivery in 

 sections where the roads are become impass- 

 able. Further statistics are being gathered for 

 the purpose of ascertaining the sentiment 

 among those benefitting from this service, on 

 the question of improved highways. It is 

 obvious that those localities where no effort is 

 being made to lessen the cost of the service to 

 the government, the present service will be 

 curtailed. This is right. 



Tile Adrian Industrial Association proposes 

 the construction of one mile of gravel road as 

 earl}" in the spring as practicable. The survey 

 for rine-half mile is already on record and 

 work would have been undertaken last fall if 

 time to complete it had been thought to be 

 sufficient. If it proves a benefit we will con- 

 tinue the effort until some other plan is de- 

 veloped that will provide for work in this 

 direction on a more extended scale. 



MICHIGAN GETS BEST RESULTS. 



At the Saginaw county good roads institute 

 State Highway Commissioner H. E. Earle re- 

 ferred to his forthcoming report which would 

 give plans and specifications not only for cul- 

 vert work but for bridge work and road work, 

 together with estimated cost. 



As a state, Michigan has expended $360,000 

 in rewards for county roads and as compared 

 with many other states it has secured from 10 

 to :.'() times as many miles of roads at about 

 one-fifth the cost. No state in the union, he 

 said, had done road work so well and eco- 

 nomically as Michigan. The 325 miles of road 

 was a beginning and demonstrated what could 

 be done. 



lie said: "I shall recommend to the pres- 

 ent legislature the appropriation of $215,000 for 

 ihe next year and $320,000 for the succeeding 

 year." 



Speaking of the proposed road improvement 

 in Saginaw county, he said that Los Angeles 

 county, California, had bonded itself for $3,- 

 ..(1(1. 000 for roads and anticipated that in 20 

 years the taxes collected on account of in- 

 d value would equal the outlay. 



Tie discussed the damage automobiles did 

 to improved country roads and advocated a 

 tax at the rate of 10 cents per year per horse- 

 power on all automobiles, such tax to go to 

 the state fund for road improvement. 



$53,000 FOR MARQUETTE ROADS. 



Marquette County Road Commissioner V. S. 

 Hillyer, in his report showing the operations 

 and expenditures of the board from its organ- 

 ization in September, 1905, to Dec. 1, 1908, 

 says that the entire amount received by the 



commission during this period was $87,159.70, 

 and of this amount something over $32,000 

 was received in 1908. The board last year ex- 

 pended $35,841.04, and now has on hand $1,- 

 659.70. 



He recommends that in the future not less 

 than $8,000 be appropriated for any one road, 

 in urder that camp maintenance and general 

 expenses may not be disproportionately 

 large. He also recommends the purchase of 

 hauling engines and rock spreading cars, 

 which would first be used on the Harvey- 

 Green Garden road next spring. He asks for 

 an automobile suitable for delivering supplies 

 to the camps, as well as for inspecting the 

 road work. It may be necessary to buy a 

 portable engine in order to run the crusher 

 to its full capacity, he says. 



Commissioner Hillyer further recommends- 

 that $53,000 be expended on the roads 9f the 

 county as soon as possible, to be distributed! 

 as follows: Harvey-Green Garden road, $12,- 

 ()()(); Ishpeming-Dexter road, $8,000; Repub- 

 lic-Humboldt road, $10,000; Republic-Dickin- 

 son county road, $8,000; equipment and tools, 

 $12,000; general office and engineering, $3,000. 



GOOD ROADS GAINING IN GRAND 

 TRAVERSE. 



The better roads idea is gaining a foothold 

 in Grand Traverse county. At least that is 

 the most natural conclusion after an inspec- 

 tion of the figures that tell the amounts of 

 money being collected in the several town- 

 ships this winter for highway purposes. The 

 sum total of the amount that it has been 

 voted to raise is over $17,000. This is a larger 

 sum than ever raised before. It represents 

 the amounts decided upon by the several 

 townships for road repair purposes, road im- 

 provement purposes, bridge purposes, and for 

 special highway purposes. 



A year ago the total of all the highway 

 funds for the thirteen townships in the county 

 was $10,264.35, and two years ago the total 

 was but $8,690.49. The story since 1900, ar- 

 ranged in tabular form, is as follows: 



1901 $ 3,344.66 



1903 4,721.59 



1904 6,492.60 



1905 7,812.35 



1906 8,370.99 



1907 10,264.35 



1908 17,176.12 



The increase in figures from year to year 

 indicates that the "good roads" movement is 

 gaining- ground in Grand Traverse county. 

 The increase in two years in the amount of 

 money voted for highvfay purposes has been 

 over 100 per cent. A substantial increase, is 

 it not? 



The road taxes now being collected are for 

 two main funds the road repair fund and 

 the road improvement fund. The tax rolls 

 now in the hands of the township treasurers 

 call for $8.883.69 for the first-named fund, and 

 $8.102.43 for the second. Of the thirteen 

 townships in the county, Peninsula leads off 

 in regard to the largest amount being raised 

 lor better roads, with Garfield a close second 

 and Mayfield township at the tail end, with 

 never a cent to its credit. 



The supervisors of Berrien county tabled 

 the petition asking that the county road sys- 

 tem be submitted to the people at the spring 

 election. 



The supervisors of Kent county have voted 

 to submit the county road system proposition 

 to the people on April 5. 



