The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1907-05-02
STATISTICS OF ROADS
Reports Of the U. S. Government
Show Interesting Statistics
of Wisconsin Roads
THIS COUNTY SPENDS MUCH

The Department of Agriculture of
the United States Government has is
sued a very interesting report in re-
gard to the amount of money expended
Tor roads in Wisconsin, and this shows
that the amount expended in Kenosha
county during the year covered by the
report was SIS, 700. The report shows
that the total number of miles of
roads in the county is 486, of which
number 1o5 are surfaced with gravel.
The property tax in cash or worked
out on the roads amounted to ST., 2O6,
and the poll tax $4,000.
10 prefacing the report the govern
ment says:
I'm 1904 there we're 60, 500 miles Of
public road in the state of Wisconsin.
Of this mileage, 1900 miles were sur
faced with gravel and 733 miles with
stone, making in all TO- 33 miles Of
improved road. 1t will be noticed
from the table that several Of the
counties report an unusually large
mileage of gravel roads. The state
geologist of Wisconsin reports that
| this is due to the fact that these coun-
/ ties are favorab1y located with regard
to moraine deposits containing very
excellent gravel for road building.
1T will be seen from these figures
that II per cent of the roads has been
I'm proved. By comparing the total
road mileage with the area of the
state, it appears that there were III
miles of public road per square mile
| of area. A comparison Of mileage
with population shows that there was
| mile of road to every 80 inha bita ats
and / mile of improved road to every
1914 inhabitants.
"A highway tax of not less than
nor more than mills on the dollar is
| assessed annually on the real and per-
sonal property in each town or super
! intendent's district. An additional tax
of not to exceed Is mills on the dollar
of taxable valuation may also be lev
led, provided the same has been
| authorized by the last preceding an
nual town meeting. These taxes may
/ be worked out at the rate of ST. SO per
day, and reports from the various
counties indicate that they are usu-
ally worked out.
| :'Every male inhabitant in each
town or superintendent district over
p and under SO years of age, unless
by law exempt, is required to pay an
annual poll tax Of $3.50.
Clowns are authorized to issue
bonds for the purpose of grading,
graveling or matchmaking roads,
provided the same is agreed to by a
M jority of the electors al any annual
or special town meeting. These
bonds may extend over period of
ten years and bear interest al the rate
of 5 per cent, the interest and princi-
pal being paid from taxes levied for
the purpose.
SIN the permanent improvement OF
certain roads the counties fare author
lied to aid the towns to the extent OF
paying one-ha1f the cost of construc-
ton. The town S share of the cost is
levied against the taxable property in
| the town and must not exceed 3 mills
on the dollar of property valuation.
The county's share is levied upon the
taxable property in the county.
! '1The County Boards are authorized
TO adopt main Travelled highways as
county roads and to cause the same to
be kept in good repair. The Board
may levy annually for this purpose a
county road tax of not to exceed
$1,000 on all the taxable property OF
the county. This tax is expended
under their direction in making cul.
/ verts, grading, crawling, ditching,
and otherwise improving such high
ways.
"The amount derived from the prop
erty tax paid in cash or worked out at
the rate of S1.50 per day was 1924,
/ 025.88 in 1904; aud the cashlvalue Of
the labor tax at $1.50 per day was
$257, 236. so, making total expend1.
ture of So, 18l, 262. 38. By comparing
the total expenditure with the total
mileage of public road and with the
population of the state, it is found
that the funds collected and expended
for road purposes amounted to S34. 80
per mile of public road, or $1.05 per
inha bitant."