The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1921-02-23
FIGURES THROW
LIGHT ON ROAD
PAVING SUBJECT
BOARD OF COMMERCE SEC'Y
HUNTS UP INTEREST
ING FIGURES

line approaches are to be paved. This
is an explanation of the proposition.
The State Road Commission has a
standing offer to any city that makes
proper application and shows that it
Is sincere to pave the trunk line ap-
proaches on a 75fs to 25Gs basis.
the state paying 759o and the city
paying 25fo. To pave our trunk line
approaches, a fraction of over A
miles of road, it would cost approx
imately $120000.00 but at the pres
ent time we can get all this paving
for $4,000 or $50 of the total
the state paying the other $4,000.
That alone is good reason for get
ting 1t done as we are helping to
pay the $4,000 thru our state taxes
whether We get a foot Of paving or
not. So if we don't get it we are
just paying for come other city's
pavement, and getting nothing in re-
turn. Why not have them help US
pay for our pavement There are
some $50 applications in now for
pavement-mostly in the southern
part of the state where they have
seen the advantage of the offer and
grabbing it like hot cakes. It is a
pretty good guess that the present
proposition won't stand very long as
the other towns and cities aren't go
ing to stand for paving 759s of some
other city's pavements. So the soon
er we get on the wagon t. better.
But why should we do thu paving?
little work" is costly. Marshal Jas.
little more work ON them? That
little work" iscostly. Marshal Jas.
Meginley says that in the last 10
years Belding has spent $4,000 in
the upkeep of its roads, and that ST.
600 out of every $4,000 has gone for
the upkeep of the roads under, con-
sideration. In other words $35 900
or more than the cost of the pave
ment to US, and what have we got for
it? Nothing but continual lay out
every year or more to keep this up.
Now then $4,000 as Belongs share
will give US those roads in concrete
and we won't have any further up
keep for years to come. Bridge st.
and Main Street haven't cost the city
cent for repairs or upkeep since
they were paved. This year Ellis
Avenue has got to be remade and Mr..
Meginley says that it will cost us
$4,000 at least, to fix up Ellis Ave.
with gravel. Another $4,000 added
to this and We will have a paved
road and no further upkeep, while
with the gravel we will still continue
paying out several hundred dollars
a year in keeping it in shape. Then
the first thing we know it will be
the same thing with the other APP
proaches-no limit with the expense.
As Mr.. Harding says-"Eet's be
done with Wiggle and Wobble".
There seems to be big scare that
it will raise the taxes an enormous
This won't be done, in fact
the way it is now figured it will not
cost the city cent more, If as much,
as the present roads are. $4,000
is $4,000 less than $35, 900. Possibly
you have heard that it would cost
yo $3.50 on $1,000 valuation. 1t
would if it was to be paid in one
year. But the idea of bonding is not
only to give assurance to the state
officers that we are behind the prop
osition, but because the bonds can be
sold as needed and paid serially, thus
paying when we haven't other bonds
due, and not making it noticeable to
such an extent. Due to the fact that
the state has only $5,000,OO0 a year
available for road building and there
is doubtful if we get anything more
than Ellis Ave. paved this year, and
perhaps not that, and the other roads
will only be paved accordingly. We
can't postpone the agreement with
the state on this consideration, be-
cause the ratio of rs to 25 may be
and thus we would be "out
of luck. If we can get signed up
we will be sure of the
70 to % ratio.
Another big argument for the
is the fact that of the
100000 to be expended the ma
jority of it will be expended here in
Belding for labor, teams and gravel.
Belding will more than get back the
$50 900 in those items alone. Unem-
ployed labor will have employment,
and we have plenty of the best gra-
vel going which will thus be supplied
from this vicinity. Practically the
only money going out of the city will
be for cement, and that may be got
ten through local dealers, and at
least will require handling here.
This is business proposition the
city of Belding can't let slip. Would
you hesitate a moment il you saw
where you could invest $4,000 and
could get $4,000 in return?
To sum this up we get our pave
ment for less money than we are now
paying to keep the present roads up
in gravel. We will have no further
for upkeep. The streets
that are now being neglected will
receive some attention then. IL we
don't spend $4,000 we will Just be
helping some other city pay for their
while they might be help
ing us pay for our pavement--75fo
worth. The money will be spent in
Belding. And finally we get nearly
$4,000 for $4,000 expended, and
concrete roads thrown in for good
measure.
Citizens of Belding think this over
and vote Yes.