The Owosso times., 1918-10-18

mgly spend more than 1t had. Hall
the five million authorized by the le-
gislature has not been touched as yet.
In aiding agriculture, through trac-
tor, sheep, potato, seed corn and
wheat funds, the board expended
$886,264 up to October / last, and
of this amount had received back the
sum of $779,540. The state put up
$415,000 for tractors alone. When
there was no seed corn in the state
1t went out and obtained all that was
needed here, getting the states sun
ply just before the government com.
wandered all that was left in the ma
tion's markets.
Ten different government boards
were aided financially by the state,
| in varying sums, and about half or
the $4,000 so used had been repaid
by October /. The boards which the
state was able to assist were the
American Protective League, the Ka-
lamazoo Red Cross, boys working re-
serve, food, film and fuel administra-,
tions, liberty loan committee, regis
tration board, reserve officers train
ing units and U. s. public service.
County war preparedness commit.
tees and their executive committees,
the Wayne county advisory board and
district draft boards were aided TO-
the extent of nearly $65,000.
Highway work of extreme import
| ance to the government was done, the
total expenditures for road work up
to October l, having been $592,6O6.
or this the state had received back a
total of $332,295. Roads about Camp
Custer and Selfridge aviation field
| were among the most important OF
the new ones constructed. Another
was the Mt. Haley road, leading to
brine wells which are of great i'm
portance in war work. The Toledo
road and others of great Importance
in motor truck traffic also were d.
rectly out of the states war funds.
The Alma-Detroit transport road was
kept clear of snow all last winter out
of this fund, so as to facilitate gov
ernment work.
Dependents of soldiers and sailors
were aided to the extent of $S3,8S6
up to October 1. Many would have
been in dire straits were 1t not that
the state was in position to see that
they obtained funds without even the
delay which was inevitable in getting
their government aid started. A total
of 1862 of this aid extended by the
state came back to 1t from patriotic
American women when the soldier
boys on whom they were dependent,
| were mustered out of service, the
women asking that it be given to
others in greater need than they.
The national guard, naval brigade,
| home guard, state police and state
military reservation were helped
along by the expenditure of $745,000.
A total of $2SS,SS2 had been adj
vanced up to October 1 to Michigan
officers to pay their expenses In OBJ
tanning uniforms and other neces-
! stiles. The practical effect of this has
been to put the boy without means
| on a footing of equality with the
boy more financially fortunate. The
sums advanced will be repaid by the
boys as rapidly as they can. Those
who fall on the field of battle will
have wiped out the debt by their sac
rifice.
| Last winter the state expended
| $2O,533 in providing rubbers for the
boys In Camp Custer. Leather shoes
| IL co+ sbad u,;pfar u,al-.aoo opd tha
rubbers saved the boys at Camp Gus
ter from colds, bronchial troubles and
pneumonia to such an extent that the
camp ranked among the highest in
| the country on the score of health.
| The state board of health also was
able to compaign against social d.
| seases in most effective manner, as
we'll as to conduct tuberculosis pre-
vention work and other needful en-
deavors. Camp Custer has about the
finest rank in the nation in all health
matters as result.
Many more instances could be Civ
| en- of the prompt and effective mea-
sures taken by the state to help Ia
every way in war work, but the above
illustrate forcibly the tremendous
amount of work done by the states
war administration. Only hard work
and unfailing energy, coupled with
intelligent direction, could achieve
the results already had. 1t Is these re-
suits which have placed Michigan in
the foremost rank of states and which
] reflect credit upon the Republican
state officials who are to come before
the people of the stata for reelection
| on NOyember &