Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1919-03-13
GOOD HIGHWAYS
FOR MICHIGAN
Ratification of Amendment at
April Election Will Mean
This in the State.
ROADS HlGHlY IMPORTANT
Must Match Dollars With National
Government 10 Obtain Its Money
for Roads.

When the men and women of Mich
igan have ratified the proposed Good
Roads Amendment at the polls, April
and the first step is taken to pro-
vide machinery and funds for a COM
prehensive program Of main market
highways in Michigan, who will be
responsible for a practical, economi-
cal administration of the money TO be
raised from time 10 time during the
next ten years?
Frank +. Rogers is the man.
To those who have followed the
work Of the State Highway Commits
sion under Commissioner Frank +.
Rogers his name alone will be suf
fcient guarantee that the x-payers
of the Wolverine State will get more
and better roads for every dollar in
vested than will the people of any
other state. And what is more re-
markable, his department will do
more and better work than any priv
ate contractor
Frank r. Rogers and his depart
ment are famous wherever road
building is discussed and they serve
as an example for other states. It's
one branch of the state government
which does business 10 the complete
exclusion of politics. Its efficiency
and organizations are the marvel of
even the leading industries on in
dustrial and commercial system.
With its products spread over the
thousands Of square miles of Michi-
gan's territorial domain, the State
| Highway Department has a cost sys-
tenn as accurate as though Commits
sioner Rogers was turning furniture,
motors, wheels, automobiles or other
purely factory product on a big pro-
duction basis.
The records in the department of
fees here include cost figures on
every foot of work on maintenance,
bridge construction, grading, map
making and survey. II field man
puts in but a single hour on a GER
tain road, the cost of his time and
expenses is figured into the cost Of
that piece Of work. Even the time
spent in preparing standard speci-
tications for briggs and culverts is
spread over the entire activities Of
the department so that every job
bears it's just share Of expense. What
is the result
The administration expense on the
road built and maintained by the
State Highway Department is less
than four per cent. To those who
little to do with big contract jobs,
involving field surveys, plans, speci-
fications and supervisory work, per
haps this figure ls not significant.
but to the big business man who may
have had occasion to employ archi-
tects or engineers, the whole story OF
efficiency and economy as practiced
by the State Highway Department
under the administration Of Commits
sioner Frank +. Rogers, will be con
tanned in the words -four per cent. "
Architects usually charge FIVE per
cent on their contract Jobs Engi-
neering contracts run to and above 10
per cent, depending upon the work to
be done, and no engineer goes further
or into greater detail in his prepara-
tory and supervisory work that the
State Highway Department on its
road and bridge jobs.
And with the increased volume and
scope Of the work 70 be performed
when the department once launches
upon the great, comprehensive pro
gram of statewide main market
highways, it is promised that the ad-
ministrative expense will be cut to.
and perhaps below, three per cent. a
figure never before equalled on a big
state or municipal contract. Cali.
fornia's administrative expense is
better than ten per cent. 1t is said
that New York's cost figure is near
ly twenty per cent. Not "A state in
the Union can even approach the
economy of administration which now
rules the Commissioner Rogers non.
political organization.
This IS the answer 10 those who
are curious to know whether the
states money to be provided for a
system Of main market roads. will
be properly and economically spent.
! There still is another check 10 as
sure the taxpayer that his dollar will
buy one hundred cents worth Of road
Uncle Sam is no longer mere on.
locker in Michigan road construction
We have spent several hundred
thousands Of dollars in the federal
aid for Michigan roads, and one OF
, the purposes of the constitutional
amendment to be submitted to the
voters at the spring election April
z. is to open the way TO use the
states credit 20 assure Michigan OF
resources to meet Uncle Sans dollar.
. for-dollar offer Of assistance in build
ing permanent, main market high.
ways.
Michigan's State Highway Depart
! ment always has been one Of delights
/ Of the officers Of the federal govern
2 ment, who have been instructed with
! the supervisory work on road con
struction in the middle west. Com