The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-02-11
Senator Browne Has Bill in Inter.
ests of Good Roads TO Pre-.
sent to the Legislature
COUNTIES TO DECIDE ON It
Bill VIII Make it Possible for the State
to Make Large Appropriations
for the Aid of Highways in
the Entire State

OeHdCoI T.. II. Browne or Waupaca,
chairman of the senate committee on
the roads and bridges, will soon intro
duce the committee bill providing for
state aid for the making Of good roads.
The general features of the bill now
being drafted are:
1.-The creation of a state highway
department to be composed of a state
highway engineer and his assistants,
all to be under the direction of an un-
paid ex-oficio commission, such as the
university and normal boards of re-
gents.
2-One-third of the state appropria-
ton to be divided equally among the
seventy-one counties; another third to
be apportioned according to the value
of the real estate in each county; the
remaining one-third to be apportioned
according to the area Of each county.
3-The money appropriated by the
state to remain in the state treasury
and not to be expended except under
the supervision Of the state highway
engineer, nor drawn from the treasury
except upon requisition of the state
highway department. and then only
when the amount expended by the state
does not exceed one-third of the en-
tire amount expended on the work
done. In other. words, the state is to
pay one-third the county one-third and
the township one-third.
The people in November voted for
the good roads amendment to the
state constitution under which Senator
Browne is acting.
"The first and most important provi-
sion in framing a law, providing state
aid is to remove highway matters as
completely as possible from politics, -
said Senator Browne. "To this end
the consensus of opinion of the United
States bureau Of highways and most
progressive state legislation is that an
unpaid ex-officio commission holding Of
fee without regard to political consid-
erations is most desirable.
"The state highway department, I
believe before many years will expend
as much or more money than any other
state department and with the greatest
opportunity of bunding up great
political machine to control the politics
Of the state The bill therefore, pro
vides for a commission composed of the
geological survey commission, together
with the dean of the college of engi-
lneering and the dean of the college of
agriculture of the state university.
This commission will select the state
highway engineer.
FThe agricultural department Of the
university could be of unreasonable
benefit in the work. of road building
and the dean Of this department would
strengthen such commission. The re-
gents are now considering adding a
course in road making to the college
of agriculture.
>'The state geological survey has al
ready done valuable work in expert
mental road building.
81 can think of no higher, more ex-
pert or disinterested body of men for
such commission tnan lie one we
have named.
81 have tables showing what each
county would get apportioning 100000
simply for computation, on the county,
area, road mileage of each county and
in many other ways, and believe that
a combination on the basis Of one-third
of the amount apportioned to each
county as a county according to the
taxable real estate Of that county as
shown by the assessed valuation as fix
ed by the state tax commission and one
third of the amount to oe apportioned
according to the area Of each county.
One this basis the wealthy and the poor,
the large and small counties all get
la square deal.
II believe the county is the proper
unit for permanent road and bridge
construction ana maintenance.
s'The counties that receive state aid
would be obliged to eventually elect
a county road superintendent to work
under the state road engineer. The
board Of supervisors Of each county
will make a map of the principal
highways in the county and the ones
on which they desire state aid.
"The only way any county can re-
ceive state aid is by raising one-third
of the cost of the road and the town
ship where the road is built raising
it's third.
fsThe initiative shall be with the
township to raise an amount which
in no case shall be less than 5000 If it
wants state aid. Tt is then mandatory
for the county in the state raising one
third and county and town two-t thirds.
eff the town in county asks for
state aid roads must be permanent
roads made Of the materials and in
the maner specified by the state
highway commission.
"The bill will ask for an appropria-
ltion of 100000 annually for three
years. A direct tax sufficient to raise
this amount, if tax should be neces-
|sary, would not add to exceed $3.50 to-
the tax Of q taxpayer who pays $500