The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-02-18
new HIGHWAY Law
Legislature To Have q Chance To
Pass Law Providing for I'm.
proyement Of Highways
PUTS INITIATIVE WITH TOWNS
State to Provide Commission Which
Shall Have Charge of State Aid
for All the Highways
in the State


duced in the assembly today by AS
semblyman John r. Jones of Green
county. This is good roads bill that
differs from that introduced by Senator
Browne in that it places the initiative
with the township instead Of with the
county and is not so. cumbersome in
its details.
THE diverse conditions in our
state, = said Mr.. Jones, in speaking
Of his bill, "make it impossible for
us to follow here the laws on this sub
ject adopted in older settled states. It
is the history Of a score or more of
the states working on this line that no
two commonwealth having highway
departments running on nearly parallel
lines have been able to follow the same
specific course. Each has diverged to
meet local conditions. While cen
traized system may do other states,
Wisconsin, with it's varied and diverse
conditions, must proceed along differ
ent lines to meet these conditions. We
must have roads where there are no
roads, better roads where roads already
exist, and good roads where possible.
We can not spend the peoples money
on three or four model highways to the
exclusion of benefit to people in other
districts.
"Any method will invite criticism
In my bill I have attempted to en-
body what seems to me the best expert
ence and thought of other states, as
well as our own. I have tried to pro
duce a plan that is practical, easily
operated at the least possible expense
and one in which the people are the
principal actors. What I have tried
to do is to produce a more uniform
system for the improvement of high
ways throughout the state by the co
operation of the towns, counties, ano
the state. The primary object of the
bill is to secure an improvement of the
public highways in every town in the
state
The bill provides for highway com
mission consisting of three members
one Of whom shall be a civil engineer
appointed by the governor and con
frmed by the senate. The regular
term will be six years, but the frs
appointments will be for two, four, anG
six years. The salary of each commits
sioner is fixed at $4,000 and the tota
salary list and expense Of the commits
sion is limited to $4,000 annually
| The duties of the commissioners viii
| be to assist towns and counties in the
letting of contracts, purchase of roa6
machinery, and advise with them as tt
highways and their construction, an(
direct the distribution of the state aid
1t is provided that the state shall
appropriate 100000 annually for the
next six years, out of which aid tt
the several counties may be paid II
order to participate in the division o.
this fund counties must have expended
at least $4,000 during the year in thu
construction of highways. The burden
of expense of new roads is divided be
tween the towns, counties, and thu
state, each bearing one-thiru. The
maintenance is thrown on the county
which will be reimbursed to the extern
OF 30 per cent of the amount expended
for such maintenance in any one year
The initiative in good road work il
placed with the town When towns
furnish certain sum, the county shall
furnish a. like sum, and later the STATE
will reimburse them so that each viii
bear one-third of the expense. Sucl
roads must be twenty-four feet wide
built on plans and grades approved BY
the county road commissioner or com
missioners who are provided for
Towns may levy a special tax fo:
building roads Of from y to 21a miles
and counties may levy a. tax not to ex
coed two mills to meet the requests o.
the towns.
It is provided that after the passag'
of the act county boards, at their mex
annual meeting shall designate sys
tenn of county highways, such roads ex
tending into every town in the county
constituting continuous lines Of high
ways wherever possible. Only sucl
highways, it is provided, may be desig
mated as shall best serve the interest
Of the public. Accompanying the bill
lis table showing just what sum
counties will receive for each 81 ,0O
depended, from those with valuation
1of $10,00O,000 up to a valuation o
$4,000, 900 or over.