The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-01-29
ROAD PROBLEM
BOBS UP AGAIN
Calumet Township Is Asked to
Build New Highways

! The receipt of a petition from free
holders of Calumet township owning
property To the east IF Laurium, ask
ing that new township highway DO
constructed along the section line be-
tween Sections a aull25, may revive
the question of highway Improvement
work. when the township board holds
( It's regular February meeting next
Monday afternoon. This road suggested
would be about a mile i'm length and
would lie about half way between the
old Torch Lake road aud the Calumet
Lake Linden highway 1t would tap
a rich farming district and shorten the
distance To- Calumet considerably 1t
is not likely the petition viii receive
the endorsement of the board. how
ever until the road question is gone
into more deeply.
For the past two years, practically
Lo new roads have been built by the
township, Notwithstanding the fact
numerous petitions have been received
asking for roads and highway inn
pruvcmcnt fund has been raised each
year. There is "A reason. The general
expenses of the township for two or
three years prior to last year far eX-
cecded the funds available 1t has
been necessary to borrow from the
highway improvement, fund Last
spring there was about $1,000 i'm the
highway improvement. fund, all hut
$500 of which was borrowed to rcplcn-
.sh the general fund. Half of the lat
ter amount was expended on the new
road built i'm the Trap Rock valley dis
uict tapping rich farm district, this
being the only extensive Improvement
made last year, This leaves 500 in the
highway improvement; fund at pres
rnt, which together with trc $4,000
being raised for this year will pro-
vide fund of about $4,000 for i'm
proycmcnt work, If tho board finds it
possible to cxpcnd it FOR this pur-
pose
The reason for the shortage of mon
cy i'm the general fund is obvious.
Calumet township has the peculiar dis
tncticn of being one Of the few town
ships i'm the state which lcvies no spe-
cial tax for general purposes. This
fund is made Up of liquor taxes and
the difference in the salary of $500
per annum paid the township trcasur-
ar under the special legislative act fix
ing his salary and that which would
have been paid him under the old fec
system, which this yCar will amount TO
close 90 $3,5OO. The money turned in
10 the general fund from these sources
is sufficient for ordinary expenses. but
the two years prior to last year were
abnormal, in that elections occurred
with much greater frequency than ever
before, each at a cost of from $500 to
$1,000. There were primaries and spe-
cial cnrolmcnts in addition to the
usual spring and fan elections. The
expense incurred was fully three times
as heavy as usual. Last year much OK
this burden was eliminated, but this
year there will be three elections again,
and though there is almost $1,000 moro
in the general fund. it may be neces-
sury TO fan back on the highway inn
proycment fund once more.
This might interfere with the build
ing of roads.
I'm addition to the petition just re-
ccived, there are on dle a number of
petitions asking for roads, which have
not yet been acted upon. Among
these might be mentioned the pcti-
lions asking for roads, which have not
Vet been acted upon. Among these
might he mentioned the petition for
"A continuation of tho Copper city
road 90 the north, q petition for Il
highway from Oncco to lAuriunl'