Charlevoix county herald., 1916-07-28
Concrete Roads
An Asset
Van Pelt Gives Interesting In
terview with o. o. Stone.


West, Michigan Pike-Dixie Highway,
spent Saturday in Charlevoix, the guest
of George III. Van Pelt
Mr.. Stone is Good Roads enthusiast
of unusual interest and says he has
firmly been converted from mud, dust
and chuck-hole roads to hard surface.
permanent roads, not only from the
pleasure and comfort to be enjoyed,
but from the every day, good business,
common sense viewpoint. The fol-
lowing are a few statements he ex-
pressed in his talk regarding good
roads:
The road question is large problem
but not hard one to solve, if we will
analyze it as we would our direct and
private affairs and by so doing we will
calculate benefit to be derived in a
community by the improvement. Next
we will figure cost and find the cheaper
initial cost roads require annually large
expenditures for maintenance, which,
struction of concrete roads, and yields
not more than approximately sixty per
cent efficiency. We also discover that
at greater initial cost concrete or
cement roads can be constructed, re-
quiring but very small expenditure
for maintenance and yields one hun
dred per cent efficiency, meaning a
number one, mudless, dustless, smooth
hard surface road, three hundred sixty
five days in the year, and for years to
come, which should solve to the ques-
tionable mind the economical type of
road to build; the one which improves
a community most and serves its pur-
pose best.
While in your city today, my atten-
ton was called to Concrete Pavement
at the South end of Bridge Street, op-
posite the Hotel Michigan, laid seven
years ago and in number one condition
and am told has not required one
penny's worth OF maintenance. This
evidence speaks mutely to you," Con-
crete is King"
1t might be well to refer to Gommuni-
ties older in road building-Wayne
County Detroit for instance, to heed
the errors or profit by the success.
About eight years ago, Wayne County
built its first mile of concrete or cement
road, which today is in excellent con-
dition and serving traffic upwards of
Four Thousand Vehicles Per Day, con-
sisting of horse drawn wagons to five
ton auto trucks and each succeeding
year more has been built until, at the
present time, Wayne County contains
More Than One Hundred and Forty
Miles of Sixteen Foot Wide Concrete
Roads.
Wayne County's concrete roads have
not only attracted the attention of diff
ferent states of this country but differ
ent countries of Europe, who are pro-
fitting by building likewise roads.
There is no other Improvement which
adds quicker and greater value to the
farming community than does, good
roads, as land and farm product value
are actually based on expense and time
horse power and general wear and tear
of transporting such products to the
railroad markets which explains why
farming lands of the same soil value
ten miles from railway are not of as
much value as land one mile distant.
Now, let us note another important
factor, greatly aided by good roads,
greater attendance at church and al
school; truer social hospitality; and
that every day touch of refinement
made more possible.
Picture in thought the great Dixie
Highway, beginning at Miami, Fla, ex.
tending North through eight States, en-.
circling and paralelling the coast lines
of the Southern peninsula of the great
and grand State of Michigan, passing
through your City, "Charlevoix, the
Beautiful" What does it mean to you
and cur great State? 1t unquestionably
means that your resorts will be visited
during the summer months by thous'
ands of touring parties from the Dixie
land and it is well spoken when said
michigan, the Summer Florida Of
America"
Gentlemen, was raised a farmers
son, spent more than half my life or
the farm, and am today largely inter
ested in Michigan as a farmer and here
are few facts which touch my quick
and arouse my ire:
Statistics from the State authoritie,
prove that, due to poor road conditions
it is Costing the Farmers Of Michigan
Twenty-Six Gents Per Ton Mile tC
Transport Their Product From Farm t.
Railroad Station, While the Railroads