The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1943-01-05


Honorable Board, a great num-
Der of vital changes in our
mode of living and working
have taken place. Prior to De-
cember 7. 1941, this country was
merely in a preparatory stage
which has been changed to
actual war, with its attending
inconvenience and sacrifices.
These we will experience in a
continuing degree until final
victory Every branch of gov
eminent feels this and like every
branch, this commission feels
that its first duty is to do all in
its power TO help bring this con-
flict to successful conclusion.
With this in mind and with the
numerous governmental restric-
tons made necessary for a sue
cessful prosecution of this war,
we believe you, as well as the
people of this county, should
know some of the problems
lying ahead of us.
STRATEGIC nj A T Err A l..
Practically all forms of metals
and metallic compounds, bitumi-
nous materials, rubber, and a
great many other articles are
now listed as strategic and
should be used only for direct
war purposes. This makes it
difficult and often impossible
for this commission to obtain a
great many articles necessary
for road maintenance. Further
restrictions are imposed upon
construction equipment and at
the present time every piece of
equipment owned by this COM
mission is inventoried by the
War Production Board and if
conditions become acute, they
may be used anywhere and for
any purpose the Federal Gov
eminent may dictate.
LABOR, 1t is becoming more
difficult to retain labor with
the high wages now prevailing
for war production and war
construction work. We have
also lost several mer to the
armed forces through enl .stment
and selective service with tho
possibility of losing more.
FINANCE II is to be definite
~ expected that the funds avail
able for road maintenance will
be drastically reduced for the
year 1913 and prospects of
greater reduction as the dura-
ton of this war increases. Tire
rationing and prospective gas
rationing are already showing
its effects in the traffic now
using the highways and al
though il will make but a little
difference in the finances for
this department this year, it will
be definitely noticeable for
1943. The budget for mainten-
ance Of state trunk lines in this
county has been reduced from
$4,000 for the year 1941-42 to
SIS, 900 for the year ending
June 30, l943. a reduction of
over twenty per cent with
likelihood of a still further re-
duction. This reduction in, reve-
nue. can only be compensated
by like reduction in services.
The percentage of reduction in
funds available for county road
maintenance will probably be
greater than the reduction in the
state trunk line maintenance
budget This decrease not only
will be felt to a great extent in
county road maintenance but
also in the county road bond
refunding program. The McNitt
fund being entirely dependent
upon gas tax ALLEGATION. is due
for the greatest slash in operat-
ing funds. Unless the gas tax
ALLEGATION is augmented from
other sources, this classification
of road will have very little
working capital and the de-
mands for service, which in the
past have been very persistent,
will have to be ignored to q
great extent.
II is only fair 10 point out to
the Board of Supervisors that
as this war continues this reduc-
ton in service will also con-
tinue to such an extent that
even drastically reduced serv-
ice can only be maintained and
that only on roads deemed abso-
lutely necessary for the war eff
fort. You have all noticed this
reduction in one item alone -
grass and weed cutting with
the complete failure Of several
of our mower units and the i'm
possibility TO replace them or