Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-02-07
The Michigan, Road Plan
. Register end Leader:l

they also serve thu farmers better and
a. q rule the farrAers are In favor Of
these good roads. Kent county has
already rot q great many miles OF
gravel roads, which were probably built
under q former law. One Of these
roads have travelled on occasionally
for twenty years and it 10 today In -
good condition az when first travelled
over 1t.
In Oceana county they adopted the
township system, and am little In
tersted in road in Elbridge township
in that county. The latter township
voted $4,000 for good roads some two
years ago, and they have almost COM
pleted a stone road across the town
ship and are expecting to have nearly
money enough to finish another road
across the township. Both Of these
roads lead into Hart. the market town
and county seat of the county. There
are already four or five roads running
out In different directions from Hart.
some nearly ten miles long. The roads
are built either with crushed stone
or gravel, whichever is cheaper to OBJ
tain. The result 10 that they can haul
on such roads about twice as much as
they can on a dirt road and can haul
every day in the year full loads with
out any trouble, except when the roads
are covered with snow drifts. or when
chuck holes have been formed in the
drifts in the spring Of the year. But at
all other times they can haul full loads
for instance, they will haul 100 BUSH
els Of potatoes on those roads when
they could haul but fifty bushels on
dirt roads. None Of the expense OF
building these roads 10 taxed to the
adjacent land owners. The theory IL
that the road is used by many people
besides the farmer himself. There are
now many thousands OF miles built in
western Michigan under these laws and
the people are not only satisfied but
are enthusiastic over them.
I have talked to some Of our farmers
here about this method Of building
good roads and many Of them object to
bonding anything. al the bonds would
have to be paid after while. The
interest on those bonds would not
be any more than what Is annually
paid for the repair of roads In this
country, SO that for the next twenty
wears 1t will cost them no more than
it does now to keep up their dirt roads.
The PROBABILITIES are that at the end
OF twenty years they will not have
to pay more than 10 per cent Of the
bonds, but, II they paid all, what OF 1t?
The largest portion of the present
generation have earned themselves all
they have. At the end of twenty years,
this property will pass into the hands
Of heirs who have not earned the prop
erty. and why il 1t not as well for
them 20 pay the bonds? But II 1t IL paid
by the present owners. the amount that
is saved every year, which may be con-
sidered at $3.50 day for all day trips
made to and from their market town.
will amount to enough to pay the en-
tire bonds. Why dilly daily with dirt
roads, when our state Is one OF the
richest agricultural states in the union
and can better afford to have good
roads than many Of the states that now
have them? Why are we taking back
seat? Even the best OF dirt roads will
be muddy at times after heavy rains
and VIII be bad in the fall Of the year
when It freezes and thaws. and par
ticularly will they be bad in the spring
Of the year when the roads break up,
at which times 1t 10 almost Impossible
to haul load anywhere. IT,
I forgot to say that Michigan has
state road commissioner. who has
charge Of the building of the roads. and
when built. under the provisions OF the
law, before the contractor can get the
portion from the state. he must get
a certificate from the state commits
sioner that the law has been complied
with.
1 should state further that the cost
OF the different roads as before stated
includes the paving by the contractor.
as provided by the law, and that the
macadam part Is but nine feet wide.
but teams with loads take preference
to automobiles and unloaded teams
when they meet.