The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1919-03-26
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GOOD ROADS FOR
IONA COUNTY
BETTER HIGHWAYS BEST ASSET
FOR COUNTRY IN DAYS OF RE-
CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS.

the question of adopting the county
road system.
1t is important because Ionia coun-
ty is one of the few remaining coun-
ties in the state Of Michigan which
has not yet adopted the county road
system; 81 counties in Michigan have
already adopted this system and are
and have been for some time now
building good substantial state re-
ward roads under its method of oper-
alton, and Ionia county has helped
pay the cost of the construction of
those roads. Not one county which
has built roads under the county road
system has ever gone back to the old
township plan.
The adoption of the county road
system means that all the main roads
in Ionia county would be taken over
by the county and placed under the
care and control of three county road
commissioners to be elected by the
people and operating under the super
vision of the board of supervisors.
These three commissioners would
draw no salary but would be allowed
necessary expenses by the board of
Supervisors. These three commits
sioners would employ a practical road
builder to supervise all the work done
under the direction of thee ommis-
sioners and the board of supervisors.
The county road system enables the
three road commissioners and the
board of supervisors to decide in Oc-
tober of each year just what roads
are to be built during the coming
year, have the plans drawn and APP
proved by the state highway depart
ment, advertise for bids, let the con-
tracts, and be ready fer active opera
tions jus tas soon as the work can be
begun the following spring. Under
the old township system this is abso-
lutely impossible, FOR the highway
commissioner under whose supervi-
sion all the township roads are built,
is not elected until April, and so no
plans can be perfected or new roads
arranged for until after the April
election. This means loss of much
valuable time, and it is often mid
summer before roads built under the
township system are started.
Under the county read system no
road can be taken over by the COM
missioners and made a county road
without the consent of the board of
supervisors. Not a cent of money
can be expended by the commissioners
without the approval of the board of
/ supervisors and the law sets a rigid
limit on the amount of money which
the board ~ supervisors can vote for
county road building each year. The
board Of supervisors has the final say
in all these matters and the county
road. commission must abide by the
decision of the board.
/ 1t is impossible under the township
system TO build continuous roads. be-
cause while one township builds per-
haps the adjoining township will not,
so there are bound to be breaks in
the main highways and stretches of
poor or bad roads sandwiched in be-
tween stretches of fine state reward
roads. Under the county road sys-
tenn the conditions will be exactly re-
versed. Continuous roads will be
built, and after they are built the
law says the county commissioners
must keep them in repair. That
means that our roads will not be al
lowed to break down and get full of
ruts and chuck holes same as they do
4 now, but will be looked after and kept
In perfect repair all the time.
Under the township system and also
under the Covert law, the cost of
building state reward roads falls al
most entirely upon the abutting prop
erty. Under the county road system
the cost of building and keeping in
repair the roads taken over by the
county commission would be spread
over the entire county and the cities
in the county would pay their share
4 fnu a,.1 h,,iIItpn
roads which the city people use just
as much as thief armers. But the
county road system does not inter-
fere with any township going ahead
and building roads itself either under
the township system or under the
Covert law, if it wishes to do so.
4 Uncle Sam and the state of Michi-
gan are both going to put in dollar
for dollar and every cent raised by
the county under the county road sys-
tenn for building main highways. This
means much to counties operating un-
der the county road system, and we
in Ionia county cannot afford to lose
our share of it. The state and feder-
al governments cannot spend the time
to deal with townships en- this propo-
sition. They can and will deal with
|, CVuftleS WHICH nave county TOtu
commission backed by a board of SUI
pervisors which is alive to the needs
of its county ON the good roads ques-
ton, and Ionia county has just that
kind of board of supervisors and
can secure federal and state aid In
solving its road problems if it will
come under the county road system.
The county system builds good
roads and at a minimum expense
Mistakes were made by some of the
, counties which first began operations
! under this system. But we can al
! profit by those mistakes, and there i!
! absolutely no reason why Ionia couE
ty should not build its roads at thu
least possible cost under the county
, system.
Z Ionia county has been helping Il
build roads in every one of the s.
I counties now operating under thu
county road system. They have got
ten our money, they have built theil