The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-05-20
MEETING HELD
ORGANIZE FOR
BETTER ROADS
Good Roads Meeting Addressed BY
State Association Secretary Fri
day Evening When Highway
Matters We're Discussed.

That Watertown will be the termin-
us of a star mail route between here
and Milwaukee as soon as the pro-
posed Federal aid highway is COM
pleted was the statement of Charles
Willard, field secretary of the Good
Roads Association of Wisconsin, at a
meeting held in the city hall Friday
evening. He stated that it was the in
tentiOn of the government to supply
mail on at least four highways out Of
Milwaukee within a 80 mile zone of
that place. and as the highway be-
tween Milwaukee and Madison via
Watertown would be the first one
built, WatertOwn would come in under
the plan which is to supply mail by
motor truck.
The speaker advocated the con-
struction of concrete highways and
held that where such roads were con-
templated it was poor policy to oil
as the oil had poor effect on the soil,
which had a tendency to make bad
foundation for concrete.
tended as was expected and it was la
mentable that more business men were
not present. Strange as it may seem
there were no garage men there, the
very men who are vitality interested
in good roads. Mr.. Willard stated
that each county in the state was to
be organized for the purpose of Sc
rrrf1oCr
looking after just complaints where
highways and work were being ne
elected. The meeting elected the fol-
lowing organization:
President-Dr. E. J. Herman.
Vice President-Otto w. Bayer.
Secretary Treasurer-E. F. Wieman.
Directors-Max G. Kusel, o. c. Wer-
theimer, E. C. Wolfram, E. J. Carroll,
Max ROhr.
While disclaiming that the organi-
cation had any official state standing,
the speaker cOntended that the great
est good could be secured by bringing
needed legislation to the attention of
the lawmakers and also to present
their aims and advice to the state
highway commission, the engineer of
which was a director in the Good
Roads association. To do away with
the present and past method doing
road work was also one Of the objects
sought Instead of the farmers work
ing out" the road tax the new method
was to pay the tax in cash and have
the necessary work done properly. The
speaker brought out the point which
has generally been agreed upon by
contractors for years that concrete
demands vents at certain distances to
allow OF expansion and contraction.
He stated that this theory is entirely
fallaclous and has been proven so by
pansion or contraction to concrete and
it is the only desirable material for
road building, but that it must be laid
in a manner to avoid water getting
under the surface
The State Highway Act.
The improvements under the state
highway act will before next fall pro-
vide Wisconsin with a we'll maintain
ed and safe system Of main travelled
roads, free from real road terrors.
we'll guarded, signed and protected. It
will not be as fancy as the California.
New York or Maryland systems of
state roads are, but it is hoped to
make the roads on this system pass
able and safe so that one may travel
from end to end Of the state over
state system of roads and be sure that
of 4
upon will be cared for and maintained
as we'll as modern experience can
suggest and daily care can accom-
plish.
The plan has been laid out in the
state trunk highway system of 5000
miles, inter-connecting all parts of
the state. Maps of this system can be
obtained by writing to the superin-
uendent of public property at Madison
and enclosing ten cents. Don't send
postage stamps The map, in addition
to showing the state trunk highway
system, explains the road marking.
contains an historical sketch of the
state, data regarding the resources
and Industries. The historical scenic
Gated on the map. 1t is compact and
interesting digest of places and points
OF interest in Wisconsin.
The first and big thing is mainten-
ance. A large amount of construction
Is for obvious reasons impossible on
account of the limitations on the an
preparations for construction and the
conditions of the labor market and the
high price of material
There has just been inaugurated
system of patrol maintenance and on
May l. 5000 patrolmen began work on
the state trunk highway system,
working on the theory of section men
on the railroads. These men devote
their whole time to the work and will
keep the roadways in the pink of con