The state herald., 1908-11-27
LEGISLATION .lIifIliN
FOR GOOD ROADS
WILL BE SOUGHT AT THE NEXT
MEETING OF THE COLORADO
! GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
RESULT OF MUCH STUDY
EDUCATION IN ROAD BUILDING
PRIME FEATURE OF THE
MICHIGAN LAW.

When the state Legislators recently
elected meet in Denver the first of
the year, one of the first measures that
will be presented TO their attention will
be a bill providing for an act to ere.
ate State Highway Commission.
Colorado at the present time is far be-
hind the majority of states of the I'm
Ion in the attention 1t is paying to good
roads within its borders. The time has
gone when a good road is looked upon
rs luxury, and the reports from those
communities that have spent hundreds
OF thousands to improve their high
ways shows that the investment has
yielded handsome returns.
The bill to be presented to the next
Legislature is fostered by the Rocky
Mountain Highway Association, and 1t
Is the result of much thought and
study by those Interested In the work.
copies of the good roads laws of many
states were studied and the best feat
ures of each We're combined in the
Colorado bill. Already much interest
is being shown in this work through
out the state and 1t is believed that the
next General Assembly will adopt some
measure of the kind proposed.
Among the state laws studied In pre-
pairing the Colorado bill was that OF
Michigan. In that state the law rec
ognizes that the education of the peo-
pie TO the need and benefit OF good
roads is one Of the chief factors in Sc
curing the end sought for. This law
contains two features worthy Of no.
tice; the first that one OF the princi-
pal duties OF the state highway com.
missioner is 10 give instruction In
the ar: of building. improving and re,
pairing public wagon roads and
bridges" In this connection II Is
made mandatory by the law for the
highway commissioners OF the town
ships and counties to meet In annual
session 10 consider matters pertaining
TO good roads. Attendance upon these
gessions is made one OF the duties OF
the commissioners. and the county
pays their expenses, when attending
such meetings.
Another important feature of the bill
is the clause which compels county Of
ncials to furnish TO the state commits
sioner full reports Of the condition OF
the various roads in their counties.
Failure TO do this is punishable by fine
or by imprisonment.
Michigan also gives rewards 10 the
counties constructing good roads.
These rewards correspond TO what is
termed by other states as state aid"
and IN Michigan are divided in five
s1asses. as follows; clay.gravel. gray.
el. stone gravel. gTayelstonc, and ma.
cadam. The width OF the roads are
specified as eighteen feet. and the re.
wards given by the state range from
$3.50 TO $1,000 per mile. During the
presAnt year the state will expend
$4,000 In this work. while there has
been 100000 appropriated for the
year 1903.
This law. II has proven. has given
wonderful stimulus TO the good roads
movement In tho state OF Michigan.
II Is measure along these lines that
II now being sought In this state. A
campaign OF publicity and education
II nov being made. carried on by the
Rocky Mountain Highway Association.
90 arouse interest In this work Al,
ready every county commissioner In
the state has been approached. and
they are practically n unit for the need
OF n good roads law.
The authorities nt the State Agri.
cultural College have also been aiding
In this work. and the efforts OF Prof.
II. NJ. Cottfcll. l.. H. House and II. NJ.
lainor have been specially noticeable.
A. farmers Institutes during the past
summer the need Of good roads was
discussed. and II will also be n sub.
sect nj the short courses. when these
talks will be given with the aid Of Ian
tern slides.
A s'and convention At which all
commercial bodies OF tho state will be-
represented. In also planned for some
time In December. This convention
will b. held In Denver and will. II II
expected. be the largest gathering ever
held IN Colorado IN the interests OF
a..