MICHIGAN ROADS AND FORESTS 



Here is a Potent Factor in all Good Roads Work 



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 ment. There is no wagon built which can show an equal record in durability and, strength. 



The points of superiority in Watson Wagons are so many that we cannot outline them in 

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 dumping wagons, for theyare first in improved features and proven value. 



Watson Wagon Co., Canastota, N. Y. 



Michigan Road Makers' Association 



W. W. Todd, Jackson, President; P. T. Colgrove, Hastings, First Vice-President; C. C. Rosenbury, Bay City, Second 

 Vice-P resident ; 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. 



$300,000 FOR GOOD ROADS. 



The house of representatives of the Michi- 

 gan legislature has passed the bill appropriat- 

 ing $:iOO,m>0 for good roads for the next two 

 fiscal years $l.~>o for each year. An ef- 

 I'ort was made to cut the appropriation and 

 one legislator tried to have the entire amount 

 stricken out, but the advocates of better high- 

 ways for Michigan won the day. Represen- 

 tative Whelan, who has a grievance against 

 the retiring commissioner, Horatio S. Earle, 

 sang the old song that only those counties 

 that vote to come under the good roads sys- 

 tem get any of the money appropriated for 

 good roads. Farmer Baker, of Cheboygan, 

 responded by declaring that any county that 

 complied with the conditions could get a 

 piece of the appropriation. The farmer went 

 on to show that Michigan is far in the rear 

 of any other state in the amount it is spend- 

 ing to get good roads, although good roads 

 are a thing that directly benefits the farmer 

 tn a greater extent than almost anything else 

 for which appropriations are made. The 

 farmer population of the state stands for 

 large appropriations for the maintenance of 

 the state university and for other purposes 

 from which they derive comparatively very 

 little benefit, so why cut the one appropria- 

 tion that is very largely in their interest, he 

 asked. Representatives DeYoung and Cham- 

 bers backed up Farmer Baker in his good 

 roads talk, and the appropriation was ap- 

 proved. 



NEW HIGHWAY LAWS. 



Senator Fox's bill, which comprises a com- 

 plete codification of all of the highways laws of 

 Michigan, was adopted by the house of repre- 

 sentatives after three amendments were tacked 

 onto the measure. First and foremost among 

 these is the amendment which provides that 

 any township may elect more than one high- 

 way overseer, if the number does not exceed 

 four. Next, there is a change which gives au- 

 thority for the condemnation of the gravel pits 

 in the interests of road building and repair, 

 under certain conditions. The third amend- 

 ment of importance prohibits the construction 

 of drains through or along highways in such 

 a manner as to invite washouts. 



There are today over 100 laws on the books 

 relating to country roads. Some were enacted 

 a half century or more ago, and some contra- 

 vene each other. The Fox bill repeals them 

 all and re-enacts the best of all of them, that 



are not obsolete. In addition there are many 

 new provisions. The most essential ones 

 are: 



All country roads are placed on a uniform 

 system, and must be surveyed and marked 

 with monuments every 80 rods and recorded in 

 the permanent record in the town clerk's 

 office. 



Farmers are forbidden to drain their fields 

 into the highways where the drainage would 

 be likely to cause washouts, ihe highway 

 commissioner is empowered to acquire by 

 condemnation proceedings, gravel pits for 

 building roads. 



Where there is a dispute over a road that 

 is the dividing line between the township and 

 a municipality, provision is made for settle- 

 ment by the highway commissioner and the 

 mayor or president. 



Where a street or a municipality extends 

 into a township, the township must make the 

 road the same width as the street. 



All roads hereafter laid out s-hall be of 

 uniform width. 



All bridges and culverts hereafter built must 

 be strong enough to carry 12 tons. 



Rural delivery letter-boxes must not be 

 placed nearer than 15 feet from the center of 

 the road. 



Townships are allowed to have one to four 

 overseers, to spend the repair tax, the township 

 to definitely determine the number. 



At the ootion of the overseer of high- 

 ways a taxpayer may work out his road tax. 



Township boards of fence viewers shall 

 comprise the overseer of the district, the 

 highway commissioner, and two justices of 

 the peace. 



In the spending of highway money, the 

 township board and the highway commissioner 

 must work in harmony with each other. 



DICKINSON COUNTY ROAD IM- 

 PROVEMENTS. 



More than $50,000 will be expended in Dick- 

 inson county this year on highway improve- 

 ments. Of this sum considerably more than 

 $20,000 will be expended under the. direction 

 of the board of county road commissioners. 

 The first important work will be that of ma- 

 cadamizing the cast end of the Vulcan-Lo- 

 retto road, which was graded last season. The 

 board's appropriation for this work was $4,- 

 000, about $1,000 more than the contract price. 

 Engineer Carpenter is now preparing esti- 

 mates for the improvement of the Iron Moun- 



tain-Menominee River road. F"or this work 

 the board has appropriated $2,000. Later this 

 highway will be macadamized. Seven thou- 

 sand dollars has been appropriated for the 

 construction of a county road to be known as 

 the Twin Falls and Granite Bluff road. Last 

 season a splendid road was built from the 

 Iron Mountain city limits to Twin Falls. 

 When the new link is completed there will be 

 a good highway to a point north of Channing 

 at Sawyer Lake. Ultimately this highway 

 will be extended to a connection with the 

 new Marquette county road at a point near 

 the Michigamme river, about four miles from 

 Witch Lake. The Dickinson county board 

 has not the money in hand to do the work 

 this season, but the Sagola township authori- 

 ties have submitted a proposition that will 

 ensure the building of the highway at once. 

 The Sagola people have offered to build the 

 road provided that the county re-emburses 

 them for the money expended in 1910, or at 

 some later date, and adopts the highway as 

 a part of the county road system. The tender 

 is looked upon with favor by the county 

 board and will no doubt be accepted, if no 

 legal point is involved. The Marquette county 

 authorities have made an appropriation for 

 the extension of the Republic highway to the 

 Michigamme river and it will be cut out and 

 graded this season. 



The Dickinson board has also appropriated 

 $1,000 for laying out, constructing and im- 

 proving a county road known as the Wauce- 

 dah-Menominee highway. This road will 

 give a connection with the system of roads in 

 Menominee county. Also $2,000 has been 

 appropriated for laying out, constructing and 

 improving a county road in the townships of 

 Helen and Breen. The county is now well 

 equipped with road-building machinery, in- 

 cluding a steam roller, rock crusher, sprink- 

 lers, etc., and no money will have to be ex- 

 pended for equipment. In addition to the 

 above expenditures for highway and bridge 

 purposes the several townships of the county 

 have appropriated various amounts so that 

 over $50,000 will be expended in the county 

 during the year in highway improvements. 



Ontonagon's county's new board of road 

 commissioners has been appointed as follows: 

 Jerome Brown, Matchwood: James D. Van 

 Slyck, Ontonagon; Joseph Bebeau, Rockland. 



The village of Caro has a new steam road 

 roller. A great deal of highway improvement 

 will be started this season. 



