The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-02-22
WOULD ELIMINATE ALL CRAFT
County Highway Commissioners Shown
Working Of New Law and Urged to
Garry Out the Spirit as Well as the
Letter of the Law.

County Highway Commissioner John
6. Williams and several residents of
Kenosha county who attended the first
highway school held under the aus
pices of the state at Madison on Mon
day and Tuesday, have returned home
and they declare that the high
ways of the state will be greatly bene-
flied by the practical work done in
the school. Representatives of nearly
every county in the state were present
at the various sessions of the commits
sion and the road experts.
In the absence from Madison of
Gov. McGovern, his private secretary,
Col. Duncan McGregor, gave an adj
dress of welcome, which was respond
ed to by G. r. Post Of Sank county,
president Of the Wisconsin Highway
Commissioners Association.
The condition of affairs leading up
to the passage of the constitutional
amendment permitting the state to aid
in highway Improvement was describ-
ed by Senator John S. Donald of Dane
county, father Of the present state aid
law. He said there were $4,000 miles
of roads in the seventy one counties CT
Wisconsin and the 1900 towns and vii
lagos in the state had total of 10000
pathmasters and superintendent, while
the annual expenditure on the roads Of
the state had been over $2,500,000
since 1905. In one township there
were forty-nine pathmasters.
Gives History Of Movement.
The state aid movement he said had
its inception in Massachusetts, and
New Jersey, and from the eastern
states had spread throughout the
union. In Wisconsin the agitation for
better roads began in the zoos, and
the first step in the way of legislation
toward this end was taken when the
law permitting the purchase Of road
machinery 'on petition was placed on
the statute books. In 1899 the law
permitting freeholders to petition for
gravel or macadam roads was enact
ed, and this led up to county aid, two
laws for this purpose being enacted in
1907.
Then came the passage of the con-
stitutional amendment permitting state
aid and the establishment Of the high
way division of the geological and
natural history survey, with an appro-
pfiation Of $4,000 for its work.
Senator Donald sketched the in
designations of the special commission
appointed by the legislature of 1909
to frame state aid law, after the
failure to agree upon bill at that
session, and the visits which were
made to other states during the in
vestigation.
Travel en- Wisconsin Roads.
In speaking of the travel upon Wis
consin roads, he said there were over
1900 cheese factories in the state and
over 1000 creameries and the travel
each day to these factories and cream
cries, to say nothing Of the condens-
ing plants, amounted to 100000 miles,
justifying all claims made for Wiscon-
sin as dairy state.
In addition there were 1000 rural
free delivery routes in the state, COW
ering on an average 25 miles each,
which made another 10000 miles,
while with the star routes and stage
lines there was enough additional tray
el to- bring the daily mileage up to
about 100000 miles, not including the
regular marketing Of farm produce and
the general travel.
In addition to the state aid law,
other legislation had been enacted for
the purpose of aiding in the improve
ment of the roads of the state, such
as the extension of aid for bridges and
culverts, the payment of road taxes in
cash, the law encoura ging the, use of
the split log drag, etc.
The senator also spoke of the edu-
cational work which had been carried
on in the state through the six weeks
course Of special meetings, the teach
ers Institutes and the farmers insti-
tutes. He bespoke for the state aid
law fair and honest trial and asked
that politics be kept out Of the work
and that citizens Of all classes give
it their encouragement.
Avoid suspicie4 Of Graft.
In speaking upon the new state aid
law, former Senator John A. Hazel
-aoa of Tofforcon cbo;rn,on of +bo