Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1917-05-05
STATE TRUNK HIGHWAY LAW.
Under New Law the State viii Law
Out, Construct and Maintain Trunk
System of Roads.

/ ShWay plil overwhelming 10y
both the selate and ass embly is
looked upon by good roads advo
Gates as a distinct step forward in
highway legislation in Wisconsin.
This bill constitutes a new unit
the State-f under It's terms the
state will lay out, cors.ruct and
maintain the state trunk system of
roads. The measure is regarded as
highly favorable for the agricultur-
al counties for the reason that the
state and federal funds will be dis
tributed among the counties on the
basis of mileage, area and assessed
valuation. As these counties usual
ly have large area and mileage,
as compared to such Coun les as
Milwaukee, with large assessed val
uation, they will receive a mu Il
larger proportion under the state
highway law than they do under
the present state aid law. The tate
aid law is not amended or changed
in any way.
1t is expected that the Highway
commission will at an early date be
gin hearings turnout the state pre-
liminary TO laying ont the trunk
highway roads. 1t will take the
balance of the year to continue
these hearings, and construction on
the system will not begin until next
year.
Under the terms of this bill the
counties will furnish one third of
the cost of the building of the por-
tion of the trunk highway in each
county. Under the present state aid
law, counties are paying from two
thirds to three quarters of the cost
of the state aid highways Under
the trunk highway bill a county
may assess a town up to one half OF
the county's share of the building
of a portion of the state trunk high
way system in said town-sixteen
and two-thlrds of the whole cost
provided that no town shall be as
sessed over $1,000 n mile. Under
the state aid law towns pay one
third of the cost.
The bill in brief provides for the
laying out of a State Trunk High
way System, not to exceed 5000
miles, to inter. connect every county
seat in the state This system will
be laid out By the State Highway
Commission after hearings in dIf-
ferent localities. Appeal from the
decision of the commission may be
made to a legislative committee,
made up of three assemblymcn and
two senators. and their decision
shall be final.
In the next FIVE years the state
will receive from the federal gov
eminent, for the building Of this
trunk line system SI.925,4I6. Tn
der the federal act the state IS re-
quired to appropriate an equal
amount. 1t is proposed to raise
this amount and to provide the
/ funds necessary for the maintenance
of the system by increasing the
automobile license fees to $1,000
for each car.
The state and federal fund for
building this system will be divided
among the counties on the basis of
road mileage, area and assessed
value. Under the present state aid
law the money is divided on the
basis of assessed value, which gives
the richer counties, like Milwau-
kee, a much larger proportion than
under the new trunk line bill. Tn
der this latter bill the agricultural
counties in the state with large
areas and road mileage will receive
a much larger proportion The bill
finally provides for the erection by
the state OF a standard design Of
road markers on the trunk system,
the numbering Of each of the roads
and the issuance Of 4 map Of the
system by the state.
The trunk line bill merely marks
the first step and the laying out of