8 MICHIGAN ROADS AND FORESTS 



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IV1ICHIG A N ciation, represented Director J. C. Knox of this saving by abolishing the land office en 



Cadillac. irely. Forestry is already saving the Stat 



ROA.DS AND FORESTS T1 " L ' rc were a ' so present Mr. Steckley of over $50.000 a year and will save it a grea 



Saginaw, and Mr. Jay Bassett of Detroit. 'leal more, in the actual cash of the tax-payer 



Official Paper of The Michigan Road Makers Association and ~, c . . a- 



Michigan Forestry Association. After some preliminary discussion Mr. Roth l ne btate lan(1 othce and the audito 



70 Lamed Street West, Detroit, Michigan. reviewed the work of the last seven years general's office have had a clean-np an 



Emered ., second-daw Matter AprU 27. 1907. ., the Post office De- and particularly the work of the Forestry change of front. 



troit, Michigan, under the Act of Conrress of March 3. 1879. \"ociation during the live years of its exis- ' * he state has definitely and iinall 



tence. This is what he said: Seven years ago abandoned the policy of throwing away it 



- forestry in Michigan was practically without P" or ' ands and thereby encouraging a ini^r 

 PUBLISHED EVERY MONTH recognition; what little was said or done was able fornl of " latld shark" business, and in 



By due to the patient efforts of such men as Mr. stead Jt has established and accepted a prom 



THK STATB RBVIBW PUBLISHING CO, Garfield, Dr. Seal, Mr. Bissell, Professor isi "g forest P<>!icy. 



- Spalding and others. The position of the 4 - Hundreds of young men study I. restr 

 SUBSCRIPTION.^ONK DOLLAR A YEAR, Sta ^ was anomalous . The lumber industry> at the University and the M. A. C., and for 



the second in the State, was rapidly disap- estr y is recognized in the work of at lea? 



PROGRESS OF THE GOOD ROADS P earin g: millions of money were leaving the (; " e of our Normal schools. 



State to be invested elsewhere; millions were 5 - There is a general, intelligent sentimen 



IDEA. sent QUt {0 i mport our better grades of lum- among our people which is ready to suppor 



Interest in good roads throughout the state ber, forest fires were destroying millions of tne legislature in any proper effort fo 



is steadily increasing, and while reports indi- property every few years; only a third of the cstrv . 



cate that a certain element among some coun- land in the State was used; millions of acres fi - Numerous public organizations, com 



ty boards of supervisors is somewhat slow in we re left to revert partially or entirely for niercial bodies, women's clubs, etc., have tak 



seeing the light, the reduced majorities, where non-payment of taxes; nearly a third of ojir c " U P this worl< and are carrying along 



votes have been taken refusing to submit the lands was in an unused cut and burned-over campaign for forestry. 



question to the people, are strongly indicative waste land condition with little chance or fit- " The lumbermen and timberland owner 



of a growing sentiment, which will almost cer- ness f or any other use but forest. And yet are organizing to give their forests bettc 



tainly in time become an insistent demand, as ] a t e as 1903 the State took no interest, the protection and in this way are doing pionee 



for better highways with all they must mean legislature paid no attention to any of these work in the direction of forestry. 

 to the communities that build them. matters and the State officials of those days, And '" a " these results the Michigan For 



It seems plainly evident that in several notably the land office and auditor general's cstr >' Association can well claim a goodl 



counties where the supervisors have refused office denounced and opposed every effort of snare ' 



to submit the county road question to the progress. Mr - w - B - Mershon explained the 



popular vote, their decision does not coincide Things had changed but little by the year possibilities in the direction of game and 



with the wishes of the people. In Oakland 1905 when the association was organized. But preservation and expressed the belief 



county for example, where some townships from this time on there was improvement. In twenty million dollars per year and mor 



are known to be 25 to 1 in favor of the propo- 1907 the first victory was won in the creation coukl easily be derived from tourist and camp 



sition, the supervisors refuse to submit. In of the Commission of Inquiry. This commis- cr if our wild ' ands and our wild a nimal. 



Charlevoix county, also, where only two years sion, especially through the fearless efforts of wo "' d receive protection and care, 

 ago, one supervisor alone refused to vote on Carl Schmidt of Detroit, its star member, laid Mr. Bigelow emphasized the needs of 



a resolution condemning the system, now the whole situation bare, .it showed the peo- protection and the lamentably unfair 



many have been won over to its support and pie that the State was fooling away its lands vicious phases of our present forest taxa 

 the last vote of the board, recently taken, at about one-tenth their value, that good for- Dr. L. L. Hubbard laid stress on the nece 



showed one-third of the supervisors on the est was practically given away, that the old sity of disposal of brush and debris general! 



right side. methods led to forest devastation and were in forest operations to prevent serious cor 



Some boards refused to submit the question merely helping to make waste lands. Further- flagrations. 



at the spring election because of what they more, that the State was wasting the taxpay- Mr. Bissell spoke of the value of the 



considered lack of interest among the bene- ers> money at a rate of about $150,000 per year ciatirn in giving tangible and active -u 



ficiaries of the system, in that they had not Ior useless advertising and clerk hire in con- to the Public Domain Commission, an a 



petitioned for the voting privilege. nection with tax lands, and that thousands tance which would probably become nece: 



Those who look beneath the surface, how- of " Iake resort lots " worth about 10 cents sary as soon as this commission wou ' d 



ever, will find the most hopeful indications all a P iece were "verting for non-payment of its real work and operate on a larger sea 

 over the state, for the good roads idea is taxes ' and causin g an expense of nearly $1.00 Mrs. Mantner and Mrs. Sharp described 



coming into its own in the favor of the people a P iece each year for advertising and clerk work of the women's clubs and the enthusi 



with whom the decision must ultimately rest! hire - support which the association's work recr 



In the next session, that of 1908-9, and for through these bodies. 



-. Tr , UT _ AM -rfnoTrtf t ' le ^ rst t ' me m t ^ le history of our State, the In discussing the future work of the 



RY ASSOCIATION Legislature was thoroughly interested and ciation it was agreed that the great tasl 



CHANGES. alive to the matter of forestry and at last the association were really accomplislu'il, 



On January 20 a meeting of the Officers created a new Forestry Commission with a certain amount of time and development 



and Directors of the Michigan Forestry Asso- proper powers, such as had been asked for existing agencies must be allowed to tai 



ciation was held at the office of the Vice Pres- by the friends of forestry for years. place and that for these reasons the metli' 



ident, Mr. J. H. Bissell. The following offi- Today, with the association only five years of work might well be changed. It w 



cers and directors were present: old. we have in Michigan: therefore unanimously decided to abandon t 



President Chas. W. Garfield. 1. The Public Domain Commission (the regular publication of a paper, and in 



Vice President J. H. Bissell. new forestry commission) with jurisdiction p' a ce issue from time to time such bulleti 



Secretary Filibert Roth. over all state lands, and with the express duty or circulars as seem desired or necessary. 



Assistant Secretary H. G. Stevens. of setting aside at least 200,000 acres is doing On motion of Mr. Stevens, a vote of than 



Mrs. L. L. Mantner of Saginaw. what it can with present funds to better and was unanimously tendered to Mr. F. E. C; 



Mrs. J. C. Sharp of Jackson. protect these lands, and to promote forestry ter, the editor of Michigan Roads and Fc 



Mr. W. B. Mershon of Saginaw. in the State. ests for his interest and his efficient help 



Dr. L. L. Hubbard of Houghton. It ha-, also largely stopped the great ex- placing the needs and' work of the associati 



Mr. C. A. Bigelow of Bay City, President pcnse of tax land advertising, etc., and in a before the public and especially in interest! 1 



of Michigan Hardwood Manufacturers' Asso- few years, no doubt, will be ready to add to the press during the periods of struggle. 



i era 1 1 



