The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1917-01-25
LIFTS EXPENSE OFF COUNTY
Use of Money from Federal Funds for
the Construction of State Roads Will
Make Work Much Easier Many
Roads to Be Built During Year.

Good road advocates are enthusiastic
over the Communications made in
Governor Phillips message for the
utilization of the federal aid and con-
tingent amounts added thereto for the
development Of system of state trunk
line highways. They regard it as a
great step forward in remeding the
present piece meal highway system.
Tt means that if the program of the adj
ministration is carried out, the present
state aid highway law and appropria-
tiens made under it, will be used for
the development of the local roads
town and Countrywide the federal aid
will be made the basis Of a fund to be
set aside for state trunk line system
based on the state as unit
In speaking Of the matter, T. A..
Cannon, executive secretary of the
Good Roads Association Of Wisconsin,
which has been carrying on a statewide
campaign for state trunk lines, said:
| eff the recommendation made by
Governor Phillip in his message to the
legislature regarding state trunk lines,
are carried out it will mean the great
est step forward in highway legisla-
tion since the passage of the original
state aid law And the Indications
are that the recommendations will be
carried out.
Governor Philip stands -squarely
behind the program we have been agi-
tating. He stands for the utilization
of the federal aid money and amounts
aceruing therefrom, for the develop
ment of state trunk line system Of
roads instead of adding this money to
the present state aid fund and utilizing
it in the same way as the present state
aid money. Our state aid highway law
is based on the town unit largely, with
I the exception of between twenty Ave
and thirty counties on the county unit.
The roads thus far built have been
built from the local town point Of view.
which has resulted in 4,S47 miles of
road in three thousand pieces--a piece
meal highway system.
Governor s message, a state trunk line
system will be planned and developed,
taking a state wide view of the prob
lem instead of the local view. In the
next four years, as the Governor says,
we will receive $1,925,415,00 from the
/ federal government for highways.
This must be rlet by the state making
| $5,776s245.00 We may safely add five
per cent to that, or to the state s
share, as the state is required to pur-
chase necessary rightof-way, make pre-
liminary surveys, etc, on federal aid
trunk lines, which would make approx
mately $4,000, 100000 to be spent within
five years in developing state trunk
lines. This will make 2 splendid be-
ginning in view of the fact that con-
siderable mileage has been constructed
under the present state aid law which
will necessarily be located on any state
trunk line system laid out; and Of the
| further fact that number of counties
have, or are about to issue bonds which
will take care of further portions of
the state trunk line system.
"Under the Governor S recommends
tons, the federal aid trunk line mile
age, will be distributed on the basis of
the trunk line mileage in each county, as
opposed to the present taxation basis.
Carrying out the recommendations
made in the Governor s message, means
that we shall continue to develop our
town and county roads under the pres
emf state aid law, but that we are go
ing to take step forward and build
state trunk lines based on the state as
a unit, which before many years will
place us in the same position as the
eastern states which have developed
systems of this character