Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1918-01-03
I NUuNLOU III ILL GJUU nlyHEJ,)
MOVEMENT IN v ISCONSIN IN 1917


Wisconsin Highway Commission is
now working on the development of
a standard road sign. The trunk high
ways will be numbered, the signs
numbered accordingly, and a cor
respondingly numbered map issued by
the State. This means a coordinated
system of road guides.
The construction of this system
will be gradual The fund available
for this purpose amounts to S9,000,-
900, for the period ending July 1921.
It will permit of construction of
less than one-fourth of the entire
system, and at that rate of progress,
it will take about fifteen years to
finish the roads. No one doubts but
that the people of Wisconsin want
more rapid progress, and that when
conditions justify, further appropria-
tons will be made available. If there
are any good people who are living in
the blissful thought that they are
going to see this system developed in
a few years, they had better dis
illusion themselves at once.
The new County Highway Bonding
Law is going to make it much easier
for the counties to bond for the de-
velopment of the systems of county
highways. The period of maturity of
the bonds is extended from ten to
twenty years County Boards are
empowered to call referendum cleo
tions on bond issues, in addition to the
present method of securing them by
petition; state and federal aid will be
directly available toward the retir-
ing Of these bonds; bonds may be sold
as the requirements Of the work de-
mand, instead of at fixed and speci-
fed times; referendum elections on
bond issues may be held at the spring
and fall elections; the improvements
must be specified before it shall be
determined to issue the bonds;
county boards are empowered to
issue bonds up to two-ffths of one per
cent of the assessed valuation, pro-
vided they do not exceed one per cent
of the assessed valuation.
Under the State Trunk Highway
Act state and federal aid may be
used on streets in places having a
population Of twenty-five hundred and
less, except streets where the houses
average more than 200 feet a part,
the Trunk Highway Act permitting
the use Of federal and state money on
all such streets, no matter what thu
population. Under an amendment to
the State Aid Act state aid is applet
able to streets IN incorporated cities
where streets connect portions Of the
state aid system, where the average
valuation is less than ten dollars per
front foot, the distance being limitef
to one mile toward the center of the
cities. In counties of over one hun
dred and fifty thousand population
the aid is applicable where the valu-
alton does not exceed twenty dollars.
What is known as the Wide Sleigh
Law provides that after Jan. 1, 1919,
no draft sleigh shall be manufactured
or sold unless the runners shall meas
ure from center to center four feet
six inches.
While great progress has been made
in 1917 there is much yet to be done
The completion Of the State Trunk
Highway system needs further appro-
priation; the State Aid Law needs
Strengthening, it should be made man
datory for counties to go on what is
called the county unit" and eliminate
the town from voice in determining
construction from year to year. Pa
troll maintenance should be made COM
pulsory on the State Aid system. Our
town road laws need complete revis-
ion. The sum of $4,500,0O0 is being
spent every year under the supervi-
sion Of 1900 "pathmasters," and ade-
quate results are not being obtained
The highway problem is a great, big
problem in Wisconsin, and the cam
paign Of education and agitation for
the right solution Of this problem will
be kept up by the Good Roads Associa-
ton Of Wisconsin.