Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-06-17
ATALK ON GOOD ROADS
Mr.. Hyde GIves Opinions As To the Best
Method of Working


EDITOR OF CENSOR: AS the good
roads problem has come to the front,
please permit me to suggest few
! things with reference to it and its
kindred subjects. There is no question
about the need of improvement in many
WAYS. Delegates to the Good Roads
State convention, that met in Milwaukee
last fall, were urged to attend and
witEess how to make q country macad-
am road, and they were promised the
privilege of asking questions about 1t,
etc.
| have no desire to oppose any prac-
ticable plan that, adopted, would be of
general utility, that is, that would be
worth to all who help pay the expenses
what it would cost then; but | do not
believe in taxing all the people to build
small portion of road that would bene-
| fit only small number of the many
who pay the bill Our network Of
roads is immense, and must be sus-
tanned at public expense, because used
for the benefit of all. The government
and theory is, in many cases, delusive
in practice. When by special influence
an appropriation Is used extravagantly
in some favored locality, all other 10
calities suffer injustice. Aid TO essen
TALLY necessary things in needy locali-
ties is all right; but the people between
Milwaukee and Madison, for instance,
q, not need an exceedingly expensive
wagon road nearly as much as the peo-
pie in thousand other places in Wis
consin need much better roads than
they have, or ever have had, or prob
ably ever will have under the present
| inefficient system of management.
Government or state aid when rendered
should be apportioned to all precints,
counties or towns, pro rata on the basis
of their local levy.
If the people of any particular COM
munity wish to club together and do
some extra fancy work for themselves
at their own expense, as they did at
Baraboo, last year, the writer has no
objection There it was done by pri-.
vate subscriptions of from small sums
to $4,000 They spent over two thou
sand dollars macadamizing single
mile of yellow clay road. At FIVE per
cent interest that one mile cost over
one hundred dollars per year for all
time to come, even should no repairs
ever be necessary. We have good
reason to oppose having any public
money expended so extravagantly.
There is better way-even distribution
all communities equally favored accord
ing to their needs. II our road tax
usually levied was jIdiciously applied,
our roads would be in much better con-
dition than they are. But it cannot be
80 applied unless it is on hand when
most needed. At the spring breakup
the road bed is soft and ruts form, and
for want of drainage and other work
from then on, to prevent 1t, the water
cuts holes and bitches that are very
expensive to fill later on; but, there is
neither tax nor money on hand with
which to do this work. Just here our
faulty system is most in evidence. The
supervisors have made final settlement
with the last years oyerseers, and no
one knows who is next to be overseer,
nor who the supervisors will be. We
are disorganized and without funds
when most in need of thorough organi-
cation and money to use. The whole
highway system should be recognized
on d permanent cash basis, with board
of control holding Office three years.
two holding over and one to be elected
each year, similar to a school board.
In this way authority would never lapse.
This board should have power to trans
act all necessary business connected
with roadmaking and improving: also
of changing location, without the long
process of petition and official action
thereon, all awards of damages to be
subject to appeal to disinterested parties
as the case il now. or similar to the
rights of railroads right-of
In many places great Improvement
could be made in grade. or in bed, or in
drainage. by slight changes of location,
and with much less expense of damage
awards to adjacent property than the
expense of making such changes by the
slow process of petition, which is so
| slow and so disagreeable of operation.
| Most people prefer to have the road in
difficult places and conditions rather
than petition for change. In many
places it is but little if any further
around, than over a hill or down into
sag or ravine, and the grade is very
much less. The objection of crooked
fences is too trivial and too selfish to
/ be worthy of consideration when it
stands in the way of permanent i'm
provement and pubic benefit. Where
selishness is in excess of public spirit,
compulslon should be used.
The option VI paying our road tax in
labor or cash may be good in the newer
parts of the state, though that is
doubtful, but here where the farmers
are too busy to work on the road when
it should be done. it should be paid in
cash. Any competent man can put the
roads in better condition with crew
hired to devote their time to il, than he
can with the irregular help he gets
under our pay in labor" system. Au-
thorlty to order men 10 appear at
certain time and place often fails to
secure definite number to work to
advantage. and very often careless
and inexperienced aAi disinterested
boys or men are sent, and their time
counts on tax without much efficiency.
The road districts should be large
enough 10 justify hiring crew for the
season. The crew. knowing they have
a good cash job, and that it depends
largely OF efficiency. will be far more
USE tul than the ordinary mixed lot,
many of whom care more for Jolly
lime than they do for any permanent
benefit to the road.
The economical and etfectual I'M
provement of roads involves not only
the method of raising and applying the
funds, but also the foundation. drainage
and general lay of the completed road.
There are two theories, each strongly
advocated, and both correct under Ger
tain conditions. One is that the surface
I should be broad and fiat To admit of