The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-05-20
TO ELIMINATE STATE BOARD
County Unit System is to Provide for
New Bill and Consulting Engineer
Will Take the Place of the State
Highway Commission.

County Clerk Russell H. Jones this
morning received from Assemblyman
d. J. Vincent at Madison, copy of the
new road law introduced by the com
mittee on highways of the state senate
which is declared to be a panacea for
all the troubles now surrounding the
building Of state highways. The new
bill promises to have the support of
county boards in all parts of the state
and it is not improbable that it will
have the support of many Of the mem
bers of the Kenosha County Board of
Supervisors Members of the Kenosha
board insist that it is a misstatement
to declare them opposed to all pending
legislation They assert that they are
favorable to road legislation, but that
they want it to be in keeping with the
views of men who are directly CON
nected with the work Of building roads
in the various towns and counties of
the state.
The new bill provides for making the
county the unit in the construction of
permanent highways and provides
further for the appointment by the
governor, subject to removal by the
governor, of state consulting highway
engineer. This engineer is to receive a
salary from the state of $4,000 a year
and his term will be for four years or
until removed by the governor in less
time. This engineer shall advise with
the officials of towns and counties in
the state as to the construction of
roads and bridges and shall provide
certain standards of construction for
distribution to the officials interested
in the work. This service as consulting
engineer is to be rendered to the coun-
ties without charge.
The law provides that each county
in the state shall constitute road dis
trict. 1t provides for the employment
of county highway commissioner at
a salary not less than $1,000 year.
Civil service examinations are not re
CURED for the highway commissioner
In addition the law provides that the
county board at it's annual session
shall elect a highway committee and
this committee is to direct road work
for the county. All highways which
have been designated in the past as
state highways for state aid shall be
designated as county aid highways and
additions may be made by the vote of
the county board.
The law provides that at the first
annual meeting of the county board
following the enactment of the law the
board shall levy tax Of not less than
one-half a mill which shall be known
as the county road fund. All orders
against this road fund are to be paid
by the county treasurer at the order of
the county highway commissioner. No
road order can be issued for work on
any road until after the county board
has granted the petition Of the town
for the Improvement of the road in
question under county aid. The town
must pay one-half of the cost of i'm
proving the roads under the county aid
system. Before the county can grant
aid asked the town must show that in
addition to all other town taxes, taxes
have been levied for this specific
road work.
The law strictly provides that no
n+ &c - 1n1 4
within the corporate limits of any vii
lage or city. Annual reports of all
road work done and all money expended
shall be made to the county board.
The board ma. order and direct the
purchase of sus.l machinery as may be
needed for road building.
All duties now performed by the
state highway commissioner are placed
in the hands Of the consulting engineer.
The law provides for the payment by
the state of aid for roads, the money
to be taken from license fees of cor
porations and from taxes paid by rail
roads a sum not to exceed 100000
annually This money is to be paid to
the various counties at rate of thirty
three and one-third per cent of the
amount expended by the counties in the
year previous to the appropriation
The law to be affective after January
LIST, 1917.
The new law is a long one and the
supervisors will be called upon to
study it carefully before they com
munieate to the Kenosha representa-
tives at Madison their final judgment
in regard to it.