The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1917-03-22
The State Trunk Bill

MaulSOn. MarC0 lO-Ine 0OOt
Roads Association of Wisconsin ha!
ssued from it's headq quarters in thi:
city the following summary of tht
State Trunk Line Highway Bill
which was introduced in the Senate
yesterday.
The Joint committee on highways
of the Senate and the Assem- bly,
after weeks OF preliminary debate
and study and the most careful
ldrafting, has just reported out the
bill providing for what will be known
as the State Trunk Line Highway
lSystem. The report of the com.
mittee is unanimous. signed by the
thirteen members, and it is ex-
pected that there will be little op-
position to it in either house. In
drafting the measure it was neces-
sary to comply with the require
ments of the federal aid act, under
which Wisconsin will receive
81, ,925 416 for the building of high
ways from the federal government
in the next five years. The require
ments of this act are rigid and in
order to get this money it was
nece> sary to comply with them.
The bill in brief provides for the
laying out of State Trunk High
way System, not to exceed 5000
r lies, to inter-connect every county
seat in the state. This system will
be laid out by the State Highway
Commission after hearings in diff
ferent localities. Appeal from the
decision of the commission may be
m lde to a legislator, 'mmittee,
made up of three assembl ymen and
two senator's, and their decision
shall! be hnal.
Ia the next five years the state
will receive from the federal e vera
ment, for the building of this trunk
line system $1.925 .416. Under the
federal act the state is required to
appropriate an equal amount. 1t is
proposed to raise this amount and
to provide the funds necessary for
the main tenance Of the system by
increasing the automobile license
fe es to $40. 90 for each car.
Under the terms Of th, bill the
counties of the state in the ag0re
gate are required to provide an
amount equal to that provided by
| the state. This means that Two
thirds of the cost nf this system
will comA from the federal govern
m ,nt and tn. state, and one 'hrd
from the coun ties. Inasmucb a. the
Expenditure will be spread over a
three year period and must come
lfrom seventy one counties, the
amount annually required from
each county is small. The mainten
ance of the system will be done un
der state direction by the present
county organizations and will be
paid for out of the increased auto
mobile license fees. The federal
government requires proper main
tenance or the federal aid will be
withdrawn.
The state and federal fund for
building this system will be divided
among the coun ties on the basis of
road mileage, area and assessed
ualue. Under the present state aid
law the money is divided on the
basis of assessed value. which gives
the richer counties, like Milwaukee,
a much larger proportion than un
lder the new trunk line bill. Under
this latter DILL the agricultu raj
ICOunGloS III LH0 SEdb0 WIFI IdI SC
areas and road mileage will receive
a much larger proportion. The bill
finally provides for the erection by
the state of standard design ol
road markers on the trunk system.
the numbering OF each of the roads
land the issuance of map OF the
system by the state.
The trunk line bill merely marks
the first step and the laying out o.
a nlap. That the financial outlay
under the provisions of the bill is
small is indicated by the fact thai
under it's terms in three yeal
period, 5,776, 248. will be spent
while under the present state aic
, law we are spending about four and
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