Horticultural Society

The ancua] ■■ro;i(l meeting" of the Wavhienaw Horiiculuiral so.iüty laef Saturday afternoon was addressed by Iio.11. E. P. Aüon. of Ypsilanto. Thomas W. Palmer who was expected .failed to put in an appearance, but sent a telegram of regrete. Mr. Aiiin endorsed the new road law oí Michigan, as the first .step in the right direction. Our present metlwjil o: "worfclng out" the tax iu roMd dtótriets, whieh has been in TOgue sin; L830, was well enougli when the country 'as new and one'a pwn labor was all h-e luid to give toward public improvement, but the time had come for more systematic and scientific metliod.s oí road mailing than were possible under the old law. The new law provides that the board oï supervisors oí o.ieh county sha 11 have the power to submit to the peopte oí the county, the question of elocting ft board of county commissioniers who shall have the power to levy taxes for the improvenieat of highways, these taxes to be spread upon all the taxable property of the county. Such a law as thls, or soone modification of it, Mr. Allen t-hought necessary, If our roads were to be greatly improved. People were opposed to paying toll and would not encourage corporations to undertake the iimprovement of our public roads for private profit. Yartous speakers followed Mr. Allen, nearly all of whonn upheld the preeent law. H. D. Platt thought those with the most political backing, and not those best qiuüified, would secure cantral under the new law. Mr. Stocking favored toll roads and believed that rthose who used the roads should pay for 'them. Andrerw Campbell said our present district system was in use in Scotland 150 years ago but that the best roads in that country were built under a different and more modern system. Secretary Mills believed road work was done as faithfully as any other public service. The farmers were not the ones who were back of this road agitation. Fred Braun believed that our road laws might be improved, but that the act passed by the l'ist legislature was not what was wantod. Macadamdaed roads, which have been proposed, couW not be affOTded in our famiing communities. It would coat more to nierely keep them in repair than our present roads cost. Geo. A. Peters thought 'the present no time to talk about inc.rea.sed taxatki'ii. Benjamin .Smitli culied attentton to the fine roads in his pan of the county, built under the present law. Alter a recess the society appoiuted a comimittee to draft siütable resolutions concernins the death of its former secretary, Kmia Baur.