The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1916-03-31

~ NE OF the Important quesCions Va oonio "o'
fore the voters of Van Buren, County next
Monday is the County Road Proposition. +"
This question was put up TO the Of the county
once and defeated. Since that time however Good
Roads and Good Road building has received more
attention than ever before, and the people of the
county are better posted There are some who
oppose the county system, but without doubt it is
because they are not posted, because of some
selfish reason The True Northerner can con-
ceive of no argument in opposition to the county
road SYSTEM and sincerely hopes that majority
of the voters of Van Buren, County will cast their
votes in it's favor next Monday
Supervisor e. j. Kirby of Covert has without
doubt given the matter as much study and consid'
GRAFTON as any man in the county. He has prooed
the question from all angles and has observer It's
operation in counties where it is now in force he
is strongly in favor of the county system, and gives
among others the following reasons for his posi-
ton The True Northerner urges its readers to
peruse the following arguments of Supervisor
Kirby very carefully, before making up their minds
to vote against the county SYSTEM
The County system takes out OF each township
certain main travelled highways designating them
as county roads, constructs them and afterwards
maintains them at County Expense. Three High
way Commissioners for the County are first APP
pointed by the Board of Supervisors for the first
year afterwhich they are elected by the people
the same as any county officer, one for two years
one for four years and one for six years They
give such Bonds as the Board of Supervisors may
reouire At the October session they submit maps
and estimates and show what roads are desired as
County roads and these must be approved by the
BOARD of Supervisors before any can be built. The
Board of Supervisors also determine the me6hoo
Of financing the construction
Every mile that is built and made County road
is taken out of the various townships and is built
and maintained at County expense and each Town
shin is relieved of much roadwa taken over and
in this way can give more time and attention TO the
other side roads and the roads now neglected.
About so Counties of the State are Low under the
County system and the advocates OF this system
show from experience 10 THESE oo counIleS Ihe lol
lowing conclusive facts.
1st. Not single County desires to go back to
the old system.
2nd Any Township 60 on and build as much
more road not designated as County road as they
desire the State reward being limited to three
miles in each township in one year
3rd The board of Supervisors controls the en-
trio County system and no Township is sighted
and no road can be built without their approval.
4tb The board of Supervisors alone fixes the
tax rate
5th All County roads end at the corporation line
of incorporation of Incorporated cities and villages
although these cities and villages are not exempt
from any tax for the road construction
9th. There being State reward on all county
roads Maid in State tax, Counties not under the
County system and not receiving these rewards,
are helping pay for County road construction in
other Counties.
9TH. The County system gets the roads, gets
thorn where most travelled and most needed and
connects them up one township with another. a
fact not always possible in independent township
construction.
sth Under the County system it is possible to
build difficult stretches in any township that the
township in and of itself would not often be able
tn buld bv reason of the difficulties presented and
the large expense
9th Under the present Township law the burden
of exnense falls almost entirely upon the agricult
nral reridents or farmers, whereas under the
County system the Expense for County Roads is
divided between the State, the City, the village
and the farm. All of the assessabe property Of
the County stands its proportionate snare
10TH If the County system is adopted, all the
township officers including the highway commits
sioners. are elected just the same every year. The
road work does not stopin any township, the town
sbins beng relieved only of the roads taken ove
and made County roads,
18th. The County system makes continuous malr
roads without a break at the township line.
10Th. There are always two experienced men a
least ON the Board of County Commissioners, two
mon that understand and are educated in road
.hn;lding. Highways can be built as they shoult
he buit bv men whose sole business 1T is to built
and maintain roads.