The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1899-02-14

Morse introduced bill in the legislat-
ure relating to the public highways,
which provides for the placing of all
highways under the management and
control OF town, county and state
highway commissioners. 1t also pro-
vides for the building of state roads
and state aid county roads.
This bill is timely one and should
receive the careful consideration of
every member of the state legislature.
The legislature has too long followed
the logic of the farmer, who had
driven for years over a small tree
that had fallen across his by-way
which led to the main road rather
than to take time to clear it away.
Upon being asked by friend, who
had just experienced severe jolting
up on account of the obstruction, why
he did not clear it away, replied:
s'Well, I've been a thinkin that I'd
chop the pesky old thing away, but
some how I've always been too busy
with something else" just so with
the legislature, it has always been too
busy with other things to seriously
consider this one Important subject.
Each session follows in this same old
rut scooped out by it's predecessor,
never taking time to consider any
measure relating to road improve
ment, so long as it is possible for the
public to climb over the obstacle or
sound the depth of the mud holes.
When compared with the Eastern
states or the extreme Western states
Wisconsin is far In the rear as re-
CARDS road legislation. We cite New
Jersey, for instance, in the far east or
California in the extreme west with
their magnificent laws under which
many miles of permanent stone roads
are being built each year.
Wisconsin is thoroughly up-todate
in all things that go to make q state
prosperous and wealthy, except in
substantial road building and there
is no reason why we should follow
retrograding policy in this, as the
stateis favored with all the essentials
that would contribute to successful
road building. But it lacks in COM
prehensive system whereby these
resources may be utilized to advant-
age. One feature of the bill now
pending is to provide the state with
this system, by placing the whole
subject under the control of compel.
emit men whose business it is to intelli-
gently apply these resources to the
betterment of the roads.
Our present laws were framed on
the supposition that every man is a
natural born master of the science of
road building, therefore leaves the
exclusive management of them to
path-masters, so called, to dig up,
turn over, or otherwise demolish or
per chance improve them, AT THEIR
CONVENIENCE. These men are furn-
ished with no important instructions
fl ON reliable sources so that their
work may be done in the best possible
way. They are not furnished with
restrictions to prevent them from
undoing what their predecessor has
already accomplished, but are left as
sole managers of the roads to repair
CT impair as their respective ability
may be good or bad. Every road
overseer, no doubt, does the very
best he can, but this is no excuse for
the State to continue a system,
hampered at every step by ignorance
and lack of practical experience, lack
of material, lack of proper nipple
ments and a lack of every essential
that goes to make road building a
success.
The Morse bill proposes to correct
this relic of primeval times by placing
road making on higher plane guided
by competent and practical men,
backed by power TO enforce upon
those having the care OF the roads in
charge the following of methods based
on the highest intelligence and expert
ence.