Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1915-06-09
CHANGE IN ROAD
LAWS is CERTAIN
County Highway Measure Is
Passed by Assembly.
AMENDS STATE AID STATUTE

Hands of County Authorties-Meas-
ure Provides For Entirely New
Method of Distributing Aid.
Madison, Wis, Especially Changes
in certain laws could have been fore
casted before the present legislature
met. One change certain to be made
relates to the question of road build
ing in Wisconsin.
The Woodward bill, No. 1874.
amending the present state aid high
way law passed the assembly by big
vote. The principal change made in
the present law by the Woodward bill
Is turning over to the local control OF
state aid highway construction in the
counties to a committee selected by
the county board from its member
ship. %'RiH
The county highway committees
have many of the powers now confer
red upon the county highway commits
siOner and the state highway commits:
sion and act in a general supervisory
way over all highway expenditures in
each county.
All engineering features are in con-
troll of the state highways commission,
as under the present state law The
state highways commission must pre-
pare or approve plans, approve the
contacts and see that construction is
satisfactorily performed.
Limit of Taxation Decreased.
The limit of taxation by towns for
state highway purposes is in general
decreased. the maximum legal appro-
priatiOn for a town varying with its
valuation. Counties may not appro-
pirate more than two mills, as OPP
posed to the present limitation of
three mills for all highway construc-
ton.
Special inducements are held out to
the counties engage in uniform road
improvement
The present plan of distributing
state highway aid is entirely repealed.
Under the Woodland bill the state
money available for each county shall
be held to the credit of the county,
for practically two years, and then re-
VertS to the state treasury if not used
in that county, instead of being avail
able for other counties, as provided
in the present plan. Provisions of
the Woodland bill are such th;G it is
probable that every county Will re-
tain its full and due proportion of
state aid, and do away with the ten
~,
make excessive appropriations for the
sake of getting another countys
money.
In general, the bill leaves in the
hand of the state highway commission
its present control of the engineering
features of road construction. while
the county arrangements for the work
are left more completely in the hands
of the county highway commission
The amount of state highway appro-
priatiOns and the appropriation for the
maintenance of the state highway
commission were not voted on, as
these matters are covered in separate
bills to be acted on later
Senate Kills Election Pamphlet.
The senate cOncurred in a new eu-
genics bill, passed the Hanson bill re-
pealing the primary election law, and
killed the Hambrecht bill which pro-
posed a new plan of selecting civil
service eligibles for state positions.
The debate conferred around the
Hsmbrecht measure. Senator George
Z. SkOgmO spoke in favor of the pres
ent system, and declared that any at
tempt to tamper with the existing law
carries the earmarks of a move to re-
turn to the old spoils system. Its
question of whether you stand for de-
cency in politics." he said.
Senator II. J. Bennett led the attack
on the present system. In one in
stance. he said, one man was certified
TO the state board of control for a
position at Waupun. This man. de-
clared Senator Bennett, was so dishon-
est that he was unable to furnish a
bond. The next two men certified to
the board of control were worse than
the first, he said.
Senator Bennett Offered Amendment.
senator Bennett oHered an amend
ment to the present law which pro-
vided that in all cases at least three
names should be certified for a posi-
ton. Senator Frank Hanson offered
a substitute amendment proposing
that at least five names should be GER
tiled Both amendments we're reject
81. and the bin was then killed. In
this measure. Assemblyman George
Hambrecht proposed that selections
for positions might be made from the
entire list of persons who passed the
merit test
The new eugenics does away with
ths physical examination Of parties
about to enter into a contract of mar
rage except where one or both parties
admit that hev ought tO submit RI fbp