Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-11-29
'ssuED BY THE NATURAL HIS
TORY SURVEY.
STATE AID ADVOCATED
Proof Plain That Farmers Lose Great
Advantage BY Not Being Able to
Use Cooperation Taxes in the
Building Of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Elsewhere.


on rural highways has been prepared
by the state geological and natural
history survey. An urgent plea for
state aid is made. The fact that
without exception such aid has been
successful wherever adopted is the
strongest argument for its adoption
in Wisconsin. The legislature OF
1905 passed a joint resolution to
amend the constitution, making pos
sible the appropriation of money for
state aid in road building. This
joint resolution must be considered
by the legislature of 1907 and if
passed by 1t must be voted upon by
the people before any money can be
appropriated in Wisconsin to aid in
building roads.
The effect of the adoption of such a
system in Wisconsin can be judged by
its effect in other states. Where the
plan has been adopted the public
spirit of the citizens has been arous-
ed and their interest in the good con-
dition of the roads excited to such an
extent in some cases, as in New
York, Pennsylvania and Massachus-
etts, that millions of dollars have
been spent in improving the roads,
farmers of course receiving the main
benefits. According to careful
estimates the people have had more
than these millions returned to them
in the increased value of the land,
and the investment of these vast
sums has therefore been amply
justified, even though they had to
be built directly by the country dis
tricts through which they passed.
The working of state aid, however,
is such that the country districts
through which the roads pass do not
pay this full cost. In Wisconsin the
assessed valuation of farm property
Is probably approximately equalled
by the assessed value of railroad and
| city property. Under state aid all
the propert in the state is taxed for
the building Of country roads, and
therefore the country property bears
ton. This expenditure of taxes
raised upon cities and upon railroad
property in the building OF country
roads is amply justified from any
point Of view.
1t Is pointed out in the bulletin
that railroads in many states have
been SO keenly interested in the
building of roads that they have sent
out experts and trains of machinery
to build sample roads in districts
along their lines. As railroad of
fetal said at the building OF one of
these object lesson roads, his rail-
road served the country for not
over five miles on each side of its
track and If good roads We're built
in the country it would serve the peo-
pie within distance of 25 or 80
miles. This would mean to his rail-
road an increase in business of sew
eral hundred per cent" In the same
way are cities interested in the build
ing of good country roads. The mer-
chants of the cities In several parts
of the state have given subscriptions
for the purpose of aiding in building
roads to attract the trade of country
districts. While they have done this
partly from philanthropic motives.
no doubt there has been also back of
their giving. the knowledge that they
would receive this money back in the
profits on increased sales of goods
1t may at first sight appear to the
ordinary dweller in a city who is not
in trade that he is in no way bene.
fitted by the expanding o: taxes raised
upon his property for the building of
country roads, but this Is entirely
wrong. declares the author of the bull.
letin. During the national good
roads convention at st. Louis worlds
fair one speaker computed for the