The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1914-01-08
THE HIGHWAY COMM SSloNER
GIVES AN INTERESTING
INTERVIEW.
RESULTS FOR EIGHT YEARS is
SATISFACTORY.
MILEAGE of Good Roads Built Has
Been On the Increase and Cost
Administration Has Been
But Seven Per Cent.
10y Gurd M. Hayes.l

turs in 1905 and became operative on
July ! of that year." said Highway
Commissioner Frank f. Rogers. only
$4,000 was available for rewards the
first year, but there was not enough
roads built to take the money. The
results in the first eight years, to July
1. 1913, however, have been quite
gratifying, and the results since that
date show no falling off in the mileage
of roads built.
AT the close of the last fiscal year,
June 30. 1913, 1854 miles of roads
had been built on which S1,l64,572 OF
State reward money had been paid.
The cost of States administration for
! this period was about per cent OF
the total rewards paid and less than
1 l-3 per cent of the total cost of the
roads built. In this connection 1t
might be noted that departmental ex-
penses for the past fiscal year were
only 4 3-5 per cent of the rewards
paid.
Between July /, 1918, and Decem-
Der /, 1913, (the last date on which
our books were balanced) there had
been built 1888 miles of ordinary re-
ward roads and % miles of trunk line
roads. Since December l, 79 miles or
ordinary roads have been accepted and
G miles of trunk line roads making a
grand total of 2,244 miles of State re-
ward roads in Michigan on January /,
1914 Owing to the shortage OF funds
in the State Treasury ordinary re-
wards were paid on only 2S6 miles
and on miles of trunk line roads;
the remaining roads will receive the
State bounty as early in 1914 as State
funds are available.
1T is too early TO give the cash bal
ances, showing funds available for
State rewards this year, but the best
estimates show that more than $780,
600 will be carried forward in the ordi-
nary reward fund and 100000 in the
trunk line fund. These balances are
to carry the department only to July
l, 1914, when the motor vehicle fund,
estimated at three-fourths of million
in 1914, is expected to pay the re-
wards. At that time the second in
| SIdllUlGuI
ton, amounting to 100000 also be-
came available and is expected to
care for the trunk line work for one
year.
'The last Legislature made some
very progressive changes in the high
way laws which have added greatly
to the work of the State Highway De-
partment The present plan OF the
State reward law, however, in SO far
as il leaves to the townships and
counties the privilege of saying wheth-
er any roads at all shall be built, and
If built, where they shall be located
with slight statutory restrictions),
remains unchanged. The local super
vision remains unchanged except that
: the State Highway Commissioner is
, charged with making all surveys and
plans for trunk line roads and build
ing all bridges on trunk lines when
the spans are greater than 80 feet.
Increased Rewards.
Heretofore all rewards have been
the same for each class of road $3.50,
; $500, $3.50 and $1,000 per mile,) re-
> CARELESS of the width surfaced, pro-
4 viding it was not less than nine feet.
' Now the law provides an increase of
10 per cent of the above figures for
each added foot in width between
8 nine and sixteen feet. Thus, the
E gravel road which draws a reward OF
i $500 mile for nine foot width OF
gravel will draw a reward of $3.50 a
mile If the gravel is put on sixteen
feet wide and pro rata for intermedi
. ate widths. All turnpikes must be at
4 least twenty feet in width to draw
j any reward.
These rewards are doubled when
the roads are built on trunk lines and
; in accordance with surveys, plans and
4 specifications prepared by the State
?, Highway Commissioner.
t "In addition to this an annual re
r pair or maintenance fund has beer
provided by the State for State re
warded roads, amounting to per CEN
l, OF the rewards paid. This money II
e payable after December OF each
L year providing the repairs are made
o according to specifications prepared
by the State Highway Commissioner
but this does not apply until the sec
ond year after the road has been &C
copied by the state.
a Trunk Lines.
.. "The trunk line highway act pro
N vides for locating and establishin
something over 5000 miles of trunl
ine highways In the State which ar
defined in a general way by namin
st TIE cities and villages through whic
In the trunk line roads shall pass. TIL
Of exact location of trunk lines betwee
I'd the towns is determined after invest
- CATION and report by the State High