The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-12-28
BEGIN DEVELOPMENT
Of THE INTER-
COUNTY ROADS
Federal Aid VIII Result In Com
prGhensiVe Highway System.
WISCONSIN MUST LAY OUT
COMPLETE PLAN NEXT WINTER


legislature will determine in d meas
ure the future of the Wisconsin high.
way system. Upon its decision will
rest whether Wisconsin will take a
great step forward and develop an
lnter-county highway system or con
&inue to build local roads for local
needs solely--we have built 1890 miles
of state aid roads in 5000 pieces. In
O. measure, we are ait the parting Of
Che ways.
Next year, the first allotment Of Fed
eral aid for highways for the State
of Wisconsin will become available.
Under the Federal aid law, the state
must accept the terms of the law and
make an appropriation equal to that
allotted to this state by the Federal
government for 1911-$3S5, 083.14. For
1918, 1t will be the same amount; for
1919, 1913, 444.28; for 1920, $641, 805.35,
o. total of $1,925, 1866.
What makes the next session vitality
important is that the Federal govern
ment will require that next winter,
after the legislature makes the appro-
pTiatlon and accepts the terms of the
Federal law, the state highway de-
partment must submit a definite and
comprehensive program for the full
6ve-year period. Although the money
is available from year to year, the COM
pIete plan for the expenditure for the
full tive-year period must re laid out
at the beginning. Secretary of Agricul-
ture Houston, in discussing this fea-
Eure of the law saysE
"In accepting the terms Of the act,
The state, as a matter Of course, pledges
BITS faith to the five-year program. This
Us important because it makes posi-
bile the arrangement of a comprehen-
Bive scheme of road building. Obvi-
Uusly, the expenditure of the entire
amount of money contemplated under
The act should be planned at the out
set as far as possible and road sys-
TENS and projects be conceived accord.
Lngly,"
In further constituting the act, the
Department says:
"A state must submit to the secre-
tary of agriculture, by It's state high
way department, a definite and COM
prehensive program Of construction
for the ive-year period, or as much
thereof as practicable, and subse-
quently from time to time an appli-
cation for Federal aid, known as a
project statement, setting forth pro-
posed construction of each rural post
road"
This means that next winter the
plan must be laid out for the utiliza-
tion Of the approximately $4,000, 900
Federal aid, which we will receive, the
100000 which the state must appro-
pirate to meet this, and an equal
amount which the legislature will I'M
doubtedly require the counties to APP
propriate-$6, oO0,0OO in ALL
There is every indication that the
Aive-year plan, or project, of highways
required will be through roads. A dis
patch from Washington throws this
light on the situation:
THE Office of public roads will as
far as practicable, endeaver to have
Che roads Of one state connect with
those of another. The effort will be
60 have the roads continuous in the
state and patches here and there will
mot be constructed out of the Federal
aid money"
A further fact bearing upon this is
that, under the Federal act, the state
must guarantee the maintenance of
highways built with Federal money,
else the Federal aid will be withdrawn.
wisconsin state aid highways are now
maintained by the counties. It is
obvious that Federal aid highways
must be maintained by the state as
the state could not be placed In
jeopardy of losing Its Federal aid
through the failure of the counties
Go maintain roads built by Federal aid
In brief, the whole act means Fed
&IAl dIu IOT Hldlu dTt6TlSS, Du11L Un
der state supervision, and maintained
by the state or under state super
vision.
Herein fits the plan and purpose OF
she Good Roads Association OF Wis
eonsin for a trunk line system oil
roads for which it Is conducting a
statewide campaign. Let the present
state aid continue and be utilized
in the present way, as it Is done M
most places, in the development oil
local roads. Let the Federal aid and
accruing amounts be applied to the
building Of interoounty lines-thus
taking care Of the local and broader
aspects Of the road problem, and, fin
ally, carry into effect this plan as fol
lows:
Provide by statute that the State
Highway Commission shall be em-
powered to lay out prospective state
trunk line system for future develop
ment, and that in this system shall be
incorporated the hve-year plan, or pro
1act, to be submitted to the Federal