The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-07-18
Highway Commission Sends
Letters to Town Chair
men Urging Work.
STATE 70 ExpEHD VAST sum
Total Amount to be Expended in 1918
to be in Excess of $4,000, 0o0- Sug-
gests Plan for Individuals to Force
Road Work Upon Towns.

The State Highway Commission is
now sending out to all town chalrmen
in all the counties blank forms on
which to petition their respective
county board for county and state aid
for roads or bridges to be built in
1913. These forms must be filed out
by the town boards and mailed to the
county clerks on or before Sept l, 1912
Those towns which did not vote for
state aid this spring still have
chance to do so by calling special town
meetings to be held before Septem-
Der 1st.
If the residents of any town or
county desire the Improvement of any
part Of the county system and the
town in which the portion of the road
lies has note voted to improve it they
may collect subscription of not less
than $400 and the town board of that
town may petition for aid just as Il
it had been voted by the town, pro-
vided the money is guaranteed to the
town by the petitioners.
Under another clause of the law,
any group of freeholders may
force town to make an improvement
by paying into the town treasury one
sixth Of the estimated cost of the work
(not less than $1,000 and petitioning
the town board before August 18th.
The town board then has to 4evy an
equal amount and petition for the I'M
provement.
Counties desiring to do work as
counties (omitting the towns) may do
so by voting a county tax previous to
October LIST.
Reports of votes SO far would indi-
cate that at least $2,000,00000 worth
of state aid roads and bridges will be
built in 1913 and that towns in every
county have or will vote taxes for i'm
provements.
The letter to the town chairmen fol-
lows:
"To the Town Chairman:-Pl Please
find enclosed two forms of petition for
state aid roads or bridges to be built
in 1913 1t will be best to file sep
arate petition for each improvement,
stating clearly what is the improve
ment desired and just where it was
voted to begin work, and the direc-
tion it is to extend If the exact place
of improvement was not voted at the
town meeting the body to whom the
selection was left should select the
place now, and file the petition ac-
cordingly This selection cannot be
left until later date. All petitions
must be in the hands Of your county
clerk not later than September /, 1912.
Extra blank petitions will be sent on
post card request.
only in exceptional cases will the
Wisconsin Highway Commission ap-
prove the dividing up of a vote of
$500 for stone OF gravel roads. It is
practically impossible to do good or
cheap construction of this class unless
at least $1,000 is available for each
piece of work, and your cooperation is
requested in keeping the number of
jobs down to the minimum.
" Money raised by subscription
should be included in the petition Just
as if it were voted by the town, and
money raised by subscription and paid
into the town treasury, together with
the town tax of like amount required
to be raised by the town should be
petitioned for also just as if the whole
amount had been voted by the town.
''No petitions filed after Septem.
Der lst, or for roads not on the county
system of roads will be legal, except
in the case of counties which have not
yet selected a system of roads In
those counties the petition should be
filed September 1st, leaving the road
or bridge name blank, and the town
board selects the place Of improve
ment after the county board selects
the system of county roads
Any questions will be cheerfully
answered
Wisconsin Highway Commission,
madison, Wisconsin. =