MICHIGAN ROADS AND FORESTS 



11 



MICHIGAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 



The Michigan Forestry Association was organized in Grand Rapids August 30, 1905, having for its object the promotion of a ra- 

 tional system of forestry in Michigan. The society is managed by the following roster of officers: President, Hon. Chas. W. Garfield, of Grand 

 Rapids; Vice-President, John H. Bissell, of Detroit; Secretary, Filibert Roth, of Ann Arbor; Assistant Secretary, Henry G. Stevens, Detroit; 

 Treasurer, W. B. Mershon, Saginaw, W. S. Board of Directors Hon. J. E. Beal, Ann Arbor; J. J. Hubbell, Manistee; Mrs. Lena E. Mautner, 

 Sayniaw ; Prof. James Satter'ee, Lansing; J. C. Knox, Cadillac; W. E. Williams, Pittsford; Dr. Lucius L. Hubbard, Houghton; Mrs. 

 John C. Sharp, Jackson. 



in make them pleasing and agreeable. 



They may be treated with any cf the lighter 



and preparations that are so well adapted 



this -purpose. In this way, it is evident 



that we cannot apply a hard and fast rule to 



all city streets as the conditions vary so much. 



h -i reel must be studied carefully to see 



the amount of traffic passing over it before 



itislact ry report can be made. 

 When poor roads prevail in a section, every- 

 thing is very apt to be poor, the horse, the 

 nicr, the merchant and the church. 

 It is a well-known fact that in spite of the 

 strtni'.i -us elf i rts made in some sections of 

 tir country to induce immigrants to settle in 

 them, very few accept the invitation. They 

 invariably post themselves pretty thoroughly 

 il a section. This is made easy by the 

 numeri.us emigrants who have preceded them 

 they are sure to have acquaintances in 

 ral sections who give them information. 

 They very -eldom locate n a place where the 

 r ads are impassable, as they do not wish 

 >e mud-blockaded for six months in the 

 In order t > induce immigrants to come 

 in IH such sections, good public roads must 

 nst. If it is ec nomy that prevents, 

 it is . . nomy; every day that we allow 



'iiir public i ad- to remain in an impassable 

 ition. streams to remain without bridges, 

 we deal a direct ami severe 1)1: w at our o\\n 

 and tlu- c' rntry will remain undevel- 

 i peel. ITe^e r ads, if improved at once, i 



ly engineered, and made good roads, with 

 permanent bridges that could not be swept 

 away with every rise of the streams, would 

 give some sign of permanence of settlement, 

 and of contentment with the section. The 

 burden of the tax would soon be shared by so 

 many that the roads would not only be self- 

 sustaining, but would be ;i s,,urce of revenue 

 to the state. The taxes would return in the 

 improved condition of stock and running 

 gear, and cf the increased loads that could be 

 sent to market in wagons. Circulation, which 

 is the backbone of business, would be facil- 

 itated; where now it is a hazard and a task 

 to venture on the public highways, then it 

 would become a pleasure. But unless roads 

 are made first-class to commence with, we 

 will never have them, and we throw away .the 

 money we spend for them. 



There never was a time when every state 

 and country was so much interested in road 

 work as at present, because now they are 

 awake to the fact that something must be 

 clone. When we see large sums of money 

 rppn priated in almost every state in the 

 I'nion. it behooves us to look about and see 

 t!-at we are iirst on the right track and then 

 go ahead. 



Tins is the only case where a speed of sixty 



miles an hour might be well applied. We will 



find ourselves far behind if we don't travel 



a little faster in the next, fifty years than we 



r. ' e i : -t. Win n I si e the milli ns cf 



dollars that are represented in the fine auto- 

 mobiles that are obliged to work their way 

 through some of our country roads, the ques- 

 tion arises whether or not we are spending 

 too much money for the beautiful carriages 

 we ride in, and having them so quickly des- 

 troyed on account of the condition of the 

 highways. This is a subject well worthy of 

 careful consideration. 



The different government reports are very 

 good, also the annual state reports where ex- 

 periments have been tried, so we can readily 

 see that the information from the different 

 road builders throughout the country is very 

 beneficial and easy to get at. 



There are men at this Congress who are 

 able to give competent advice, and why not 

 give the community the value of the knowl- 

 edge which they possess? 



I hope to see great good come trom this 

 Congress and wish it success. Let us all pull 

 together and see if We cannot arrive at the 

 head of the list in a very short time. 



The petition for improvement of Byron road 

 for two mile-; north of the city limits of How- 

 ell, Livingston cc.unty, has been accepted by 

 the State Highway Department for state aid. 

 The road has been surveyed and everything 

 is prepared to turn dirt as soon as spring 

 i rens. 



Marquette and Negaunee Macadam Road 



