Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-24
MICHIGAN's BAD ROADS.
The Subject of Their Improvement has Be-
come Leading Issue.


Correspondence of The Evcning Star.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. Jan. %. 1893.
The gospel of better roads has been preached
with great fervor by apostles Of high and low
degree during the past two years and it is ex-
pected the teachings will soon bear fruit. Both
Gov. Winans and Gov Rich in their retiring
and inaugural addresses respectively strongly
urged the necessities of an improvement in the
country highways. and many of the members
of the legislature are converts to the new doc
trine, and the sentiment throughout the state,
in cities and rural districts alike, is strongly in
favor of change.
The only way the road system can be reached is
through an amendment to the state constitution.
When the state constitution adopted in
1850 the importance of good roads was even
greater than at present but the solons OF that
age were not enlightened on the subject and
the cruce system they Incorporated on the
fundamental law of the state still remains. The
constitution forbids any legislative enactment
looking to substantial improvement OF the
roads which shall be greater in extent than the
limits OF single township. and it if needless to
say that nothing has been done in the state on
the road building line that has reached further
than a single. township. In addition to this
constitutional limitation the old system of
working ont road taxes prevails, and this has
probably caused results more unsatisfactory
than any other system that could be devised.
With the exception of the toll roads, travel on
which costs ut the rate of cents n mile. there
is scarcely n respectable country road in the
state. There is not public road leading out OF
Detroit today that can be Travelled in safety and
comfort at all seasons OF the year. and the same
is true Of this city. Lansing. Jackson. Saginaw,
kalamazoo and the other leading business cen
tiers of the state.
Deep mud in spring and fall and deep sand
OlbetnClA
meet along every highway in Michigan that is
not maintained toll road, and this condi-
ton OF affairs has existed from time i'm
memorial. The agitation for better roads in
Michigan commenced about four years ago by
the bicyclists, but not until the last two years
has the agitation become real earnest.
THE ROAD COMMISSION.
Gov. Winans appointed commission las.
summer made up Of William L. Weber, R.
Goodrich and James II. Kinnane to study the
road problem and to offer recommendations for
the present legislature to consider. 1t was his
idea that possibly the convict labor Of the state
might be employed in building the roads and
thereby kill two birds with one stone by solving
two problems that have been the source of
Iauch solicitude-the Improvement Of the reads
and the employment of the prison birds. The
commissioners have reported and their report
Is now before the legislature for consideration
The commissioners condemn in the most vigor-
GUS way any idea of employing the convicts on
the highways, pronounclng such system az
barbarous and degrading, fitting perhaps for
mcnarchies, but not for free country and at
the same time they show that such a system
would be more expensive and hazardous than
free labor would be- They recommend
that the constitution be amended so az to do
away with the single township system and give
the legislature authority to lay out and main
tain state, county and township roads, to be
paid for by the state, county or township inter-
ested. The state NAV aid counties in road
building. either with credit or money. the loans
10 be repaid at per cent interest. Private
property NAV be condemned for highway pur-
Doees; counties nay issue bonds for road i'm
proSemcnts. Other provisions are recon-
mended 10 better get at the details of the
work, but they chiefly relate to the taxation.
This proposed amendment will in all probability
be passed by the legislature at an early date. so
that it can be submitted to a popular vote in
the April election. and if it passes the necessary
legislation can be enacted before the law makers
finally adjourn.
If roads could be built without costing any,
thing there would be no question that the con-
stitutionai amendment would be overwheim-
ingiy adopted, bus many of the farmers think
the old way is good enough. and it is possible
they may turn out on election day and bury the
amendment out of sight. There are none of
them bat who will admit that better roads
would be of great benefit to them. bu. they fig
ure on the immediate costs and NAV think the
amendment will at once plunge them deep into
debt. If the amendment is lost the agitation
will be continued with renewed vigor for two
years more. and by that time the hardest sheied
farmer will be convinced of the necessity and
importance of n change. and the state will
be ripe for a radical improvement, regardless
OF expense. In this agitation the bic yclists will
as they have in the past, take an active part.