The Detroit times., 1910-10-15
N
1000 ROADS LAW
Glyco xownahip 0lBcials Control Of
- Issss' Finds. Van zils say'--
Procsedings Are Halted.

co1nmittee on WAYS and means OF tn'
I. ayne county board or supervisor
was hearing the arguments for ans
against the plan to submit 10 tne .aS
payers. this fall. resolution prosia
ing for the bonding OF the county
the extent OF $4,000. 0vo Tor improvint
the leading roads of the county.
The prosecutor. after pointing ou'
that he was In favor OF 5000 roaos
drew attention 10 the law GOVERNS
the matter, explaining that ne inter
preted the statute TO mean that tne
highway commissioners, VINO art
township ofiicials, and not the county
road commissioners. would have the
right to say what paving should pe
< done in the event of the bonds being
. iss,1ed. The good roads promoters
have MANNED that the work be placed
In the hands of the county road com
mfssioners, and that the roads 10 DC
payed be the leading highways.
From chapter IA, section l5, OF the
state laws relating TO highways and
BRIDGES. Mr.. Van Zi.e read the follow
ius sentence, which caused all the
trouble:
All counties or parts OF coun-
ties In the state, which nave
adopted the county road system,
may Issue bonds for the payment
OF the Improvement OF such hign.
ways az the commissioners Oh
highways decide to make.
This discovery, Mr.. Van Zile said ne
made after concluding that the way
Was clear for the bond issue. In view
az the revelation he thought halt
should be made in the bonding plan
until the situation was further IN
vestigated.
III think that there Is a mistake In
the section quoted" said the prosecu-
tor: that the man who drew up the
act undoubtedly meant to say 'coun.
" road commissioners instead OF
& highway commissioners but the
wording OF II IL quite clear and can
not be misinterpreted. However, l
should be glad II anybody could show
me how to get any other meaning
from It,"
Road Commissioner Hines advanc-
"a the theory that there was another
section in the act which delegated all
functions of the township highway
commissioners to the county road
3 commissioners. In support of his con-
tention he produced what he thought
WAS convincing proof, drawing the at
tcntion Of the prosecutor to sections
rs and 10 OF the fourth chapter OF
the county road law. The portions
Of the sections which he said placed
the power of designating what roads
shall be paved In the hands OF the
county road commissioners are as
: followa:
Any road heretofore laid out,
or any part thereof. shall become
county road II the board or
county road commissioners shall
at any time 90 determine and in
passing through, or on the line
between townships and incorpor-
ated villages. any streets or parts
II tkreete Of such village may
~ ADOPTED ~ q county road,
with consent of the proper author
tiles Of. such village or villages.
Said hoard OF county road COM
missi0ners shall have authority
to grade, drain, construct, gravel
or mAcAdamize any road under
their control, or to place thereon
any other form Of Improvement
which In their Judgment may be
best. and may extend and enlarge
such improvements; the shall
have authority to construct
bridges and culverts on the line
Of such road, and to repair and
maintain the said roads. bridges
and culyerts; they shall have all
the authority In respect to such
roads, bridges and culverts which
ID vested In highway officers in
townships.
The prosecutor was inclined to the
opinion that the sections pointed out
By Mr.. Hines bore out the latters
4 contention, but he reminded the good
roads advocates that the other section
!. was still in force.
conglomeration Of authority, and II Ia
= dinicu1t matter to know how TO pro
coed In the matter" was the summing
up Of the prosecutor. He promised u
give the situation further considera
ton Immediately, and the COMMITTEES
Adjourned until Saturday morning al
10 o'clock to give him an opportunity
4 to study the puzzling sections.
After the adjournment. President
Warned Of the Board of Commerce and
other prominent members Of the or
gnnixation, accompanied the prosecu
& tor to his once for conference. The
prosecutor went over the law with
them, but was unable 10 give them
any more light than he had shed be
tore the committee. President Larned
however. expressed an opinion after
4 the conference that the troublesome
point would be satisfactorily overcome
5 and that the work Of paving would not
be delayed II the bonding plan were
admitted to the people and carried.
Members Of the Board of Com
\ merce, which organization is back Of
4 the bonding plan, came out In force
10 boost the proposition. Many Of
them spoke, giving reasons why the
pcheme should go through. The only
opposition came from Aid. Vernon
member of the ways and means com
mitfee. He said he was not opposed
to good roads, but was against the
plan OF bonding for the work. He
Thought that bonding should be done
only where permanent improvements
are being made. He looked on the
building of roads as a temporary Inn
Hnrovement
< The road commissioners have
B oh0wn wisdom I'm the work they have
<one year by year In the past" said
~ Vernon, land see no reason why
< ~ plan OF procedure should MOI
ntlnue. They have shown an econ
&c spfrit all the way. l believe II
n1nw the work as IL Is being done
~ and placing the money for It II
- hands Of the road commissioners