The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-08-31
Good Roads In Michigan

i
two horses to haul my loads to the
city. now have only one. The cost
OF the extra horse cost me 800 Per
year"
The good roads movement has had
its trials in Wayne county. There
we're injunction proceedings. appeals
to the supreme court and legislature
and many other annoyances before
the commission finally found itself on
firm footing and authorized to 90
ahead. But when the start was made
the work went along with rush and
the commission believes within . few
years Wayne county will be provided
with the best roads in the United
States.
At the present time 500 men are In
the employ Of the commission, improv.
ing roads In all party Of the country,
Three men in the Office take care OF
that end OF the work.
Elaborate cost and expenditure sysr
tens, that bring down to the last
penny the business Of the organisa.
tion and the spirit of loyalty and fair
play promoted among the employees
that makes each man take . person
al pride and interest in doing good
days work and IN each gang turning
out a better score at the end OF the
season than any OF the others.
Work that formerly required the
services Of a great many men ana
teams. such as blowing. ditching and
mixing the cement with stone and
sand to make the metal" as the
roadway material is known. is now
done by machinery" said Commission.
er Hines. Where one pillow and four
horses were formerly required to
break up the old road. to prepare for
grading there is now q powerful ma
chine with five pillow points drawn by
one OF the big steam rollers which
does the work of five or six plows and
"a horses and does It great deal bet.
ter and quicker. Instead OF the old al.
most painfully slow method OF mixing
concrete. where anywhere from dog
en- to so men with shovels worked
hard at back breaking task. there Is
a monster steam mixer which travels
under its own power and with clam.
shell bucket arrangement deposits the
mixture exactly where 1t Is wanted.
There is no hauling OF finished con.
crete In wheelbarrows ~ under the
old methods.
take the tile for drainage. for In
stance. Instead OF purchasing the tile
as is done by great many counties,
we make our own We have molds OF
every size and shape and turn out
practically everlasting cement tile ut
a figure that private contractors can
not touch. Likewise our road build.
ing cost is away lower than any con.
tractor will take the job for.
THE money for building roads In
the past has come from q direct tar
on all property in the county. A.
the limit for such taxation is only 80
cents per $1,000, the burden has not
been great on anyone. Hereafter.
however the work will be taken care
OF from the $4,000. 900 bond issue au-
thorized by the voters at the election
Of last fall. OF this $1,000 10 avail.
able this year: there will be $500. 900
for each Of the next three years. and
$500. 600 for the fifth year.
I'VE have divided the roads into
three classes for improvement-the
trunk. or main roads leading into the
city; the secondary. or the next Inn
portant thoroughfares leading from
the main roads to the larger centers
OF population and the tributaries con-
Meeting tho others. The main roads
are being improved first. then the
secondary roads and last the tribu-
Itaries."-Public Officials Magazine