Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1917-11-01
Government AID aud
Sank County Highways
By ]. I. Donaghey Maintenance Engineer, Wisconsin
Highway Commission, Madison

a short time ago j. T. DOnaghey,
Sank county's first highway commits
sioner, and now maintenance engineer
for the Wisconsin Highway commits
sion. spoke in BarabOo on federal aid
for highways and other phases of road
work. In order to place the matter be-
fore our readers, this paper asked Mr..
DOnaghey for an article covering the
ground.
The trunk lines he mentions will
probably extend from Prairie du Sac
70 Spring Green, Prairie du Sac to
BarabOo and KilbOurn, and from the
Columbia county line at the Lower
Narrows through Baraboo to Wone-
woe. This will include about 100
miles. Mr.. Donaghey writes:
State Trunk Highway Law
The state trunk highway law was
enacted in compliance with the law
known as the federal highway act,
which was passed by congress in July,
1916, providing for appropriations
covering a period of five years begin
ming in 1916 and ending in 1920, to-
tai amount of $75,000,000; $5,000,0O0
IN 1916, $10,0OO,OOO in 1917; $15,OO0,-
600 in 1918; S2O,O00,OOO in 1919, and
S25 ,OOO, 900 in 1920. These yearly ap-
preparations by the federal govern
ment were allotted to the several
states on the following basis; One
rhird on area; One-third on postal road
mileage, and One-third on population;
1hat is, One-third being distributed on
the basis Of the area of the state OF
Wisconsin as compared to the total
area of the United States, and the
same with the other two factors. On
This basis of distribution Wisconsin
stands to receive $685. 15. Our
share that became available July,
1916. was in round numbers $128,O0O;
in 1917. S256,O0O. These two amounts
are still available and await action OF
she legislature, which was taken, and
these amounts will be applied for and
used under the provisions of our state
trunk highway law within the near
future. There will be available July
/. 1918, $386,OOO; July 1, 1919, $513,-
GOO, and July 1, 1910, $641 900.
Distributing the Funds
The state trunk highway law pro-
y1des for the laying out of system
not to exceed 5000 miles, inter-cOn-
meeting county seats and cities Of 5000
inhabitants and over. 1t provides for
ghe distribution of the funds allotted
so the state Of Wisconsin from the
federal government, together with an
equal amount that must be provided
Oy the state to comply with the federal
aid act, on the following basis: One
Ehird on area; One-third on total road
mileage, and one-third on valuation,
which, as you wall note, is little diff
ferent from the distribution of the fed
eral funds to the state. Under this
basis of distribution Sank county has
TO it's credit at the present time for
its share of the 1916 and 1917 federal
and state funds, which amount in
round numbers to $13,400. There will
Zoe available July l. 1918, a like
amount of $13,400 There will be
available July 1, 1919, $1,000, and
there will be available July 1, 1920,
,S22,3 500, making in all total of $67,-
900. The provisions Of the state trunk
highway law are such that the cOun-
ties in Wisconsin must put up an
amount equal to fifty per cent Of the
state and federal funds available,
which III the fve-year period will be
833, 500 as Sank countys share, max
ing a total construction fund for Sank
county of $100,500. This amount may
MOI be exactly correct, as we are now
gtGl1ng the actual road mileage from
the Gown clerks of the different c0un-
ties in the state, which may increase
or decrease the One-third that is dis
tributed on the basis Of the total road
mileage, as many new roads are being
laid out in the northern counties of
Che state from year to year, which
wi1l undoubtedly change the figures
somewhat upon which our records
Eyere based for this computation.
Expendins the Money
You ask how the money in general
way will be expended. We believe
shat the greatest number in each cOun-
~ will be served by using this fund to
connect the extremely weak links in