The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1914-06-11
Memorial.

The Vernon county board of super
visors, in regular session assembled,
respectfully petitions the Legislature of
the state, and its thirty three members
unanimously represents
l. That Vernon county favors good
roads. That the members of this board
unanimously favor good roads and are
in sympathy with the good roads move
ment. The members of this board
hereby express our appreciation of the
efforts of Hon. John s. Donald and
others, in endeavoring to bring about
a satisfactory system throughout the
state.
2. That the so-called estate Aid
Law" has not worked. satisfactorily,
and in common with the people of
Vernon county, this board unanimously
condemns the present law and we favor
it's unconditional repeal, or its amend
men& Us hereinafter indicated.
5. We condemn the principle of
this and other laws az paternalistic,
which compel counties, not electing to
CO so, to pay taxes for the construc-
ton Of roads and bridges in other and
remote counties, in the state.
4. We condemn the operation of
the present law and believe that the
expenses of administration of this
law will inevitably result in the people
rising up against the law, and not
only wiping it off the books, but going
to the extreme and delaying the en-
tire good roads movement for a
generation.
5. We especially condemn operation
Of this law because it takes more
money from the taxpayers of this
county than the county receives and
because the law carries with it an
arbitrary fine whereby any county
not desiring to obtain the so-called
estate aid'' is compelled to pay taxes
to benefit other counties. This system
necessarily results in extravaganza.
s. We fail to see any estate aid =
in any law that takes from the people
as whole approximately 81 and pays
them back 65c, retaining 35c for
administration
z. We believe the law should be so
amended that it shall only be opera
tive in those counties electing by reso-
tuition of their county board to come
within its provisions and that no state
tax be levied against any county not
electing to come within its provisions
for highway purposes.
s. We believe all automobile IL
cense fees should be paid to the county
clerk and retained in the county where
paid for expenditure on highways.
g. We do not object to the state
aiverting a portion of the tax receiv-
ed from railroads to building of wagon
roads, to be known as "state roads, =
without levying any tax for the con-
struction of the same.
TO- In lieu of the so-called Estate
aid law, in counties eleeting not to
come within its provisions, we favor
and demand the following legislation:
(a) No state supervision Of county
or town highways. (b) No state tax
for roads or bridges to be levied upon
any county in the state. (c) A com
pulaory law requiring counties to elect
as permanent county official, a
''eounty superintendent of highways, =
ana Six his salary at not less than
$l.GGo per aunum, such official to be
answerable solely TO the county board.
We favor q law to compel each
county board not under the estate
ala" system to levy ard expend on its
ROADS an amount Of money each year,
fNod by the legislature on the valua-
ton q each county, as minimum
seM and as much additional as the
ccaa5.1 UoarG may determine.
We Favor a law to compel each
copaty aoqrd. not acting under the
st&Go all system, to pay one,half the
cos- Of ell roAc Improvements whatso-
ever. when pstitioued oy any town,
G y (of less than 500 population or
villa~es = do 50 providing the NUM-
eirs''ty 50 petis:arirg pays the other
hal- q such Improvements, and provid-
ms that al such expenditures car only
be made upon roads certified by the
"county superintendent Of highways
to DO properly located SO as to be en-