Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-01-31
BEGIN DEVELOP ENT
OF THE INTER-
COUNTY ROADS
Federal Aid Will Result in Com
prehensIVe Highway System.
WISCONSIN MUST LAY OUT
COMPLETE PLAN NEXT WINTER

legislature will determine in a meas
ure the future of the Wisconsin high
way system. Upon IFS decision viii
rest whether Wisconsin will take a
great step forward and develop an
inter-county highway system or con-
tinue to build local roads for local
needs solely ve have built 4.SG0 miles
of state aid roads in 5000 pieces. In
a measure. We are at the parting of
the 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 19i7-$3S5, 0S314. For
1918. 1t will be the same amount; for
1919, S513,444.2S; for 1920, s641, sos. 35
a total of S1,925.416.05.
What makes the next session vitality
important Is that the Federal govern
ment viii require that next winter.
after the legislature makes the appro-
priation and accepts the terms of the
Federal law, the state highway de
partment must submit definite and
comprehensive program for the full
five.year period. Although the money
is available from year to year, the com
plete plan for the expenditure for the
full fve-year period must re laid out
at the beginning Secretary of Agrieul-
ture Houston, in discussing this fea-
ture Of the law says:
In accepting the terms of the act,
the state. as a matter of course, pledges
its faith to the fiye-year program. This
is important because it makes posi-
bic the arrangement of comprehen-
sive scheme of road building. Obvi-
ously, 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
ingly."
In further constituting the act, the
Department says:
"A state must submit to the secre-
tary of agriculture. by its state high
way department, definite and com
prehensive program of construction
for the fve-year period. or as much
thereof as practicable, and subse-
quent!s 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-
ton of the approximately 100000
Federal aid, which we viii 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 ap-
propriate-s6 100000 In all
There is every indication that the
nve-year plan, or project, of highways
required will he through roads A dis
patch from Washington throws this
light on the situation:
far as practicable, endeavor to have
the roads Of one state connect with
those of another. The effort will be
to have the roads continuous in the
state and patches here and there will
not 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 viii be Withdrawn.
Wisconsin state aid highways are now
maintained by the counties. 1t 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
to maintain roads built by Federal aid.
In brief, the whole act means Fed
eral aid for main arteries, built I'M
der state supervision, and maintained
by the state or under state super.
vision.
Herein hts the plan and purpose of
the Good Roads Association Of Wis
consin for a trunk line system of
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 in
most places, in the development of
local roads. Let the Federal aid and
accru.ng amounts be applied to the
building of inter.county 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 en-
powered to lay out prospective state
trunk line system for future develop
ment, and that in this system shall be
Incorporated the fye-year plan, or pro-
ject, to be submitted to the Federal
government for its approval upon