The Detroit times., 1915-04-19
GOOD ROADS BRING WIDE
AND DESERVED FAME TO
WAYNE and TO DETROIT

siders the heat engendered in pedal
lnk a bicycle over the old roads. In
the old days. Why something inst
had 10 hatch. II did. II was the
good roads idea IL is likely there Is
no dispa7gement In the statement
TO claim that 2. " Hines and h,
~. Earl we're the setting hens, not
jealousy bur comparatively astraddle
and brooding on the good roads idea
when few, II any. others thought the
idea. not only never would hatch,
but had no germ that would make
Matching possible. II Hines and
Earl. in these latter DAYS. we're
minded 20 mount the fence and
cackle. who Is there would could
say them nay
The long and the short Of n Is. the
good roads propaganda began back
in the days OF the bicycle riders.
Then. as ever, those who do thing
for the fun OF II. are vastly more
enterprising than those OF the
unitarian world. even though The
u,Ilitarians are always boasting Of
their progressive activities Colun-
brs was no, n the discovery bush
ness, as business. David Crockett
and Daniel Boone were not pioneers
because Il paid--killing bar" and
-InJuns" was the best fun they
could have. So IL goes all down the
line. The race horse Is the precursor
OF a better race OF utility horses:
the crack sailing yacht leads N the
matter of better ship design; the
leaders in every athletic sport are
those that set the example for the
more and more prevailing attention
10 athleticism and cleaner living. So
we get back TO the proposition that
those who wanted better roads for
the fun Of Il. so TO speak. are those
who lead IN bringing a great utiistar-
ian blessing 20 the prossic business
world Farmers used 10 swear. and
their wives used 10 think swear. as
the bicyclists Of two decades ago
scared old. joggy Dobbin from the
highway. little realizing thar they
cursed blessing.
So. Ie. Is think. We have not given
undue recognition in remembering
At length the genesis OF the good
roads idea In Wayne and other eoun-
ties.
Mars job Well Done.
But While brooding over the good
roads idea. back In the days when
; everybody was saying that !, was a
good idea but that IL never would
hatch. was highly important con
sideration, nevertheless. for anxiety.
and persistence and scrappy insist
ence. and downright hard work. and
fortnight devotion 10 duty. the mat
ter Of actually realizing the good
roads idea. once Il was Matched. il n
secondary matter merely in point
Of time. The work OF actually and
materially realizing the good roads
idea In Wayne county, II the story Of
mans work, dore IN manly fashion,
and what better can one say Of IL?
The matter OF actually getting
the roads that have made Wayne
county vastly more famous than NIL
wankee ever has been. or can ever
hope TO be. has been q task put
Through principally because Of the
persistence. the devotion. the hard
beaded good sense and Judgment
and the capacity for leadership, and
leyelheaded daring Of three men.
The people Of Wayne county deserve
much commentator because Of the
way they have accepted and stood
back OF the good roads idea when
Presented to them: but the personal
honors IN the undertaking 90 prtn-
cipally to the members OF the Board
o. County Road Commissioners. Ed.
ward ". Hines. John 8. Haggerty
land William ?. Butler, the frst two
OF Detroit, the last OF Trenton. In
this list, OF course, must 20 william
Murdoch. who was member OF the
commission and rendered great ser
vice from 1907 TO the time OF hts
death In 1911.
Tho matter OF realizing a great
public benefit Is a long and tedious
process. Frequently the individual
Is tut an atom in the great process.
vibrating activity. perhaps. In his
little orbit but seeing neither the
beginning nor the end Of the tend
ency as a whole. OF which he Il a
rart The matter OF getting good
roads In Wayne county may be said
to have been under way when the
state constitution was amended IN
1888. Under the amended conststu.
ton II vas possible TO make the
county instead OF the township the
unit in road administration. How.
ever, IL was not until 1906 that the
proposition Of administering Wayne
county roads under the county uni,
system could be brought 10 the yot.
ers OF the county for decision. In
that year the people voted for the
county system in the ratio OF 10000
votes. for. 10 1000 votes. against
Such a vote was In part a recon.
pense for the years OF discouraging
effort that he'd gone before. The
vote was a splendid vote Of public
sanction.
Difficulties IN the Way.
But, even after the proposition
war 90 overwhelmingly carried. the
actual work OF road building was