8 MICHIGAN ROADS AND FORESTS 



IV/Jlff-Ilf A M districts telephone lines have been built be- we as a county drew the first money from 



,_^ twcen the supervisor's office and ranger head- the state we have fallen away behind as the 



r\(_) /\ J_)|S AND P C_/r\Hj(J 1 O l l" :ir ters, an(1 to prominent peaks which are years have progressed. 



used for lookout stations to observe fires. 



Official Paper of The Michigan Road Makers Association ami 



Michiean Forestry Association. 1 hese telephone lines and trail systems are ONTARIO S METHODS. 



70 Lamed Street West, Detroit, Michigan. of vital importance, resulting in the remark- j <o;ul ] iu ji ( ii ng j s essentially a work requiring 



ably small area burned over since the torests eng i neerSj ;uu i is so .recognized in England, 



Entered as Second-class Matter April 27. 1907. at the Post Office at De- |,. . |, um l cr government supervision. ,,.l , Yriivnr 



troit. Michigan, under the Act of Confess of March 5. 1879. <- ana ucrmanj, ana \\nerevcr roans are 



^^^ === ^^^ =====!== ^ ===! =_ Other necessary improvements provided bcing constructed in a proper manner. This 



Frank E. Carter Editor for and taken up by the forest service are road work has formerly ! been regarded as a 



- the construction of drift fences for stock pro- h o ij c i ay occupation; everyone and any one is 



PUBLISHED EVERY MONTH U-ction, the improving of springs and watering c ii gib i c e j t h er to umpire or play in the game. 



BY places, the fencing of bog or mire holes, the The res ults are self-evident. No doubt the 



THE STATE REVIEW PUBLISHING CO., fencing of poisonous plant areas. average man does know how to build roads 



The forest service also co-operates with the in a cer tain way, but it is an inefficient way, 



SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR, states, counties and communities in the con- am | tnose wno have looked into the cost are 



PAYABLE IN ADVANCE. struction of wagon roads, trails and bridges, convinced that it is the most expensive way. 



making accessible bodies of mature timber. [t ; s thc province of the engineer to perform 



THE PUBLIC DOMAIN BILL. The new Boise-Atlanta ninety-six mile wagon thc wurk| not on]y ; n the prO per way, but at a 



From the beginning of the work along pro- road is an example of useful co-operation. nl j n ,; nnim C ost. Only men trained in the work, 



forestry lines until the passage of the Public The former road follows over high mountains, with a knowledge of the first principles, can 



Domain bill unanimously by both the House and is snowed in during six or seven months build roads with the minimum amount of labor 



and Senate of the Michigan Legislature during of the year. Atlanta, Idaho is ninety miles demanded by the results to be reached. Engi- 



the closing hours of the 1909 session, it ap- from a railroad. The new road will be neers need not be placed in charge of the work 



peared almost impossible to get any legislation snowed in for only two or three months of to get good results. 



which would preserve the non-agricultural wild the year. The scenery 'along this road rivals In Ontario, as a step towards proper super- 

 lands for the state, conserve our forests and that of many of the scenic highways. It opens vision, municipal councils are doing away 

 stream rights, and to provide for the replacing up a large area of national forest heretofore with the statute labor system and are appoint- 

 of the trees of which the state has been de- ing the best available men in the municipality 

 nuded. The bill passed accomplishes all that HIGHWAYS HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED, to take charge of the work. They are retained 

 seems desirable or important. There is no function of public administra- in office year after year, so that they can give 

 The bill provides for a commission of six tion that has been so unworthily performed careful study to the subject and maintain a 

 members, and, as Solomon said, there is safety as that relating to the highways, says F. E. perfect organization: In this way skilled su- 

 in numbers. The commission has subordinated Rice of Millington, Tuscola county. There pervisors are created. 



to it the Auditor General, the Land Commis- has been enough money squandered upon Labor is thc all-important item in the cost 

 sioner and the Game and Forestry Warden. highways in the last century to pay off the of road building and the energy of those 

 The commission has absolute power over the national debt and perhaps the debts of many leading the movement for road reform should 

 public lands and forests and forest interests, of the states as well; yet there is but little be directed towards the utilization of all labor 

 for the protection and control of streams, for- to show for this vast expenditure. to the best advantage. The cost of road ma- 

 est fire protection, trespass, etc. , The people very naturally object to heavy chinery, while it may appear to be consider- 

 The commission shall investigate what lands road taxes when the results are so unsatis- able, is nevertheless chargeable to a long road 

 are circumstanced as to be deeded to the state factory. One soon tires of pouring water mileage and a long term of years, so that the 

 and cause them to be deeded forthwith. into a rat hole unless one can get the rat. cost per mile per annum is but small. The 

 It shall have the lands appraised and sell Therefore when any scheme for highway im- price of gravel in the pit, or stone in the 

 such as are suitable for agricultural purposes provement of any magnitude is proposed, im- quarry, is comparatively little. It is the labor 

 at their value, or shall cause them to be used mediately there is a call to arms without required in these matters, the labor of men 

 for forestry reserve purposes, but the state waiting to consider whether or not it is a and teams in grading and preparing the road- 

 forestry reserves must not be allowed to fall wise one. bed, and in putting the metal in place, that 

 below 200,000 acres. It is presumed, and the prediction is made, creates the cost of roads. The efficient road 

 When any sales are made, the commission that the taxation necessary to build good supervisor, in addition to understanding the 

 shall reserve to the state all mineral, coal, oil roads will be ruinous, that it will confiscate principles of road building with practical ideas, 

 and, gas rights, which may be removed on con- farm property. Wherever the subject has ml1st ht capable of organizing and utilizing 

 tract by others, on a royalty basis. been earnestly pursued the progressives have l a '' or to the best advantage. 



The bill provides that the lands are to be won after a hard battle, and the road building 



offered for sale at the county seat, instead of has begun. When the roads were built and GOOD ROAD'S FOR HILLSDALE. 



at Lansing. the citizens had had the experience of using Andrew Long, president of the State Good 



The dead and down timber is to be sold and them and paying for them, in every case the Roads Association, Pittsford, Mich., writes: 



the proceeds used to prevent the starting and sentiment has changed and the people have "We are trying to bring harmony out of chaos 



spreading of fires, thus making the forests pay begun clamoring for more roads and each by inducing the people to elect commissioners 



for their own protection. succeeding election for road improvement who will employ farmers to do ,the work of 



The value of the law will be appreciated purposes has been carried by larger major!- repairing roads, which work is to be paid for 



later on, and the friends of the measure have ties. The men who at first opposed have mostly by the farmers themselves. We are 



cause to congratulate themselves on the result, joined the front ranks of the aggressive force, having good results in Hillsdale county and 



So far as can be ascertained no community expect to enlist the township board in our 



THE NATIONAL FORESTS. ever began the building of stone or gravel efforts to have section 16 of article No. 108 of 



During the present fiscal year $500,000 will roads that did not continue to build them the road laws lived up to hereafter. It has 



be spent for the construction of roads, trails, year after year. The only trouble is to get been an eye-opener to many highway commis- 



telephone lines and other permanent improve- the work started and started right. -loners to learn that they have not been doing 



incuts on the national forests. Congress has Tuscola county has more miles of road their work according to law. If necessary to 



appropriated the same amount for this purpose than any other county in the state. She also enforce the law, the aid of the prosecuting at- 



for the fiscal year of 1909-10. has the honor of receiving the first reward torney will be invoked. We are determined 



Trails are being constructed along routes money paid by the state under thc state re- that all roads in Hillsdale county shall be 



which give the best control of the areas to ward road law. Now the right thing to do is brought up to standard for both the benefit of 



be patrolled by the forest rangers. In many to get under the county road system. While the farmers and antoists as well. , 



