The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1916-12-09
ROAD MEN NET.
Commissioner Rogers was Present and
Outlined Proposed Legislation.

The meeting OF the upper peninsula
road builders, scheduled 10 be held at
Marquette, was held as per plans with
President A. l.. Burridge in the chair
State Highway Commissioner Rog-
ers was present and. after MIR. Bur
ridge delivered the opening address,
he was called upon TO address the
meeting and did go, explaining at
length the proposed legislation which
the committee OF the state organiza-
tion will consider and after revising,
will advocate before the legislature
The principal items OF Legislation
is one providing for a greater reward
upon the higher type OF roads and an
other regulating the hauling OF trail
ers and the weight OF trucks that may
travel over state reward roads.
Mr.. Rogers explained that the
wealthier counties OF the state, such
as Wayne, Kent and Bay. brought out
in the Lansing meeting that macadam,
gravel and dirt roads are getting a
greater proportionate share OF the
cost OF construction in state reward
than is the higher types OF road
that II is absolutely necessary to build
this higher type OF road in those coun-
ties because Of the very great traffic
on certain highways Investigation
showed that while the state paid from
40 TO 80 per cent OF the cost OF the
macadam and gravel roads. IL paid
but from 10 10 20 per cent OF the cost
of concrete and bituminous roads
In view OF the fact that the wealth
ier counties had agreed to surrender
their right to portion OF the federal
aid money, he thought IL no more than
fair that those counties should be
given more OF the state reward and he
had drafted proposed bill TO present
to the legislature providing for such
distribution of the reward
The proposed bill established Ger
tain roads based on the traffic passing
over them which shall be built under
the direction OF the state and shall
receive greater proportionato re-
ward for its construction than there
is awarded to the lower tiasscf -
road.
The roads,.tat be lncluaed Ia tllh,
class are those having a daily traffic
OF 400 vehicles or 400 tons Of farm
produce
The counties In which these roads
are to be built are privileged by the
terms of the bill TO bid against the
contractors for their construction.
The proposed bill brought out a lot
of discussion
After dinner the constitution ana
bylaws were brought up for adoption.
After they had been read by MIR.
Broad, chairman OF the committee,
Mr. Sawyer announced that Dlckin-
son, Marquette and Houghton coun-
ties refused 10 Join and for nearly an
hour there was debate upon the
question ot whether or not any formal
organization should be formed
Mr.. Burridge took occasion 20 say
that he had been advised that the ac-
tion OF the three counties In question
was the result OF an interview with
him that appeared in The Diamond
Drill; that some one interpreted the
article as a slight 90 Mr. WIN Kelly
and resented IL. Mr. Burridge said
that slight To MIR Kelly. whom he
holds IN high esteem. was farthest
from his mind and that while he
couldn't see how the article could be
so Interpreted. yet II such interprota-
tion was put upon Il nc was very
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