Belding banner., 1916-03-29
VOTERS OF OT|SCO
TOWNSHIP SHOULD
DECIDE ON ROAD
MONEY WILL BE SPENT IN THE
TOWNSHIP-BIG BENEFIT
TO FARMERS

1t is expected that at. the town
meeting Of Otisco township the pro-
position will be presented to the vot-
ers for their consideration relative to
raising money toward the cost of con-
struction of three miles of sixteen.
foot trunk highway.
The proposed road is on the desig-
mated trunk line between Belding and
Lowell, and it to start at the south
end of the present state road south
of Bridge street. The present state
road ends at a point one-half mile
north of the Richard Cowles corn
ers. 1t is proposed TO run from this
point south to the end of the road one
and one-half miles, thence west to the
church corners one mile, thence south
to the Kemp school and town line one
half mile, making in all a total Of
three miles.
The citizens of the township living
adjacent to this road together with
the Belding Board of Commerce have
agreed to raise sufficient money to
build this road, with the aid of the
township and state.
1t is proposed to ask the voters Of
the township to appropriate $1,000 per
mile toward the cost of building the
three miles, or total of $4,000, each
amount of $1,000 to be paid only as
each mile is completed and accepted
by the state highway commissioner.
In this way there will be no chance
that the road can cost the township
in excess Of $1,000 per mile, as any
discrepancies in estimates or costs will
be borne by those promoting it.
This would mean if the voters of
the township see fit to make this ap-
preparation that by an expenditure of
$4,000 they will have three miles of
trunk line highway built, at small
expense, which will draw a mainten-
ance fund of $34.00 per mile per year.
In addition to this the entire amount
of money expended in its construction
will have to be spent in the township.
The amount will be in the neighbor-
hood of $4,000.
This last paragraph should be given
careful consideration by the voter.
What it means to them exactly is the
following:
If this proposition is given favor
able consideration by the voters
of the township $4,000 will be
spent in the township for labor
and material for building this
road. and of this $4,000 only
D0OUU Is palu Dy Jne taxpayers.
This will give the citizens of the
township an opportunity by using
their teams and labor at times
when they are not needed on the
farm to participate in the distri-
button of this $4,000 to a far
greater amount than the cost of
their taxes. This difference be-
tween the amount of money asked
of the township and the amount
of approximately $4,000 which
the road will cost comes from the
state highway fund, from the citi-
zens living adjacent to this road
and from the business men of
Belding.
This work will require nearly the
entire summer to complete and there
will be need of many shovelers at the
gravel pit, as well as men to spread
the gravel on teh road, all of which
will provide labor for men who other
wise Nigh not have work. 1t will re-
ouire a great many teams for hauling
the gravel and one days work with
team will considerably more than pay
the amount of taxes on $1,000 of as
sessed valuation to raise this amount
of $4,000.