Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-07-18
FLOOD OF BILLS
BARSADj0URNMENT
Legislature VIII Have to Continue
Session Until The 18th
of July.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY WHITTET
Speaker Declares Measures Are In
Hands Of Printer and VIII Re
qulre Ten Days Before They
Can Be Given Governor.

MadiSon.-The discovery that up
wards of 100 bills are still In the hands
of the state printer, aud that 1t will
require ten days time before thess
measures can be presented TO the gov
ernor TO be passed upon. has sent a
gllmmering all hope of the final ad-
Journment of the legislature at an
earlier day.
Il do not think 1t will be possible TO
have sine die adjournment Of the
legislature before July IA" said
Speaker Whittet on Friday There
are upwards of go assembly bills
which have not yet been sent to the
governor and. including the senate
bills. there are probably 10 additional
measures TO be passed on by him. |
cannot see how II will be possible to
have an adjournment before another
ten days"
Nevertheless both houses are hold
Ing nominal daily sessions, at which
the only business transacted Is the
sending of bills to the governor
through the committees on enrolment.
The perfunctory sessions of each
house are attended by three or four
members
THE legislature of 1917 was signal
lied by the enactment of more con-
structive highway legislation than has
been enacted at any session In years.
The joint highway committee Of the
two houses gave deep thought TO high
way legislation and the three joint
committee bills which were enacted
mark a very distinct advance over pre-
viOus legislation"
Highways of the State.
This Is the statement of A. E. Hirst,
engineer for the state highway com
mission, In reviewing the highway
work of the legislature.
''The most important enactment
was the state trunk highway bin (bill
AIS, chapter 175). This law was
enacted to enable Wisconsin to take
advantage of the law providing for
federal aid for roads, which federal
aid in the period from 1915 to 1920, In
elusive. totals nearly S2,000.00O. In
brief. this law provides that the state
highway commission shall lay out u
system of 5000 miles of main high
way. lnterconnecting every county
seat and city of over 5000 In popula-
ton in the state. This system of roads
is called the state trunk highway sys-
TEN and on 1t must be expended all
construction funds amounting TO
S6,0OO,000) available from the federal
government, the state and the coun-
ties In 1918. 1919 and 1920.
1.-THE state and federal aid available
is divided between the counties. one
third on the basis of area. 0ne-third on
the basis Of road mileage and one
third on the basis of valuation. The
maintenance of this system after May
!. 1918, is TO be performed by the
counties under the control of the state
highway commission, the funds for
the maintenance being provided from
automobile license fees. which also
furnish the states one-third share OF
the cost Of construction.
"This law, providing as 1t does a
comprehensive and well-laid out sys-
TEN of trunk lines. for the concentra-
ton of construction on this system,
and for the adequate maintenance OF
unimproved portions of the system
pending its final reconstruction, should
give Wisconsin system Of well main
tanned roads connecting every impor-
tant center of population. If well ad-
mlnistered, notwithstanding the fact
that the funds provided for construc-
ton in the next three years are by no
means adequate to complete the sys-
TEN, the law will produce a tremen-
dous improvement in practically all Of
the main lines of travel In the state
and will make them travelable with
safety and comfort by midsummer,
1918.
Must Spend Part on Trunk Lines.
Immediately upon the passage of
the state trunk line bin it became evi-
dent that many Of the towns and
counties were deliberately abandoning
all projects for construction and main
tenance on roads which they assumed
would be on the state trunk system.