Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1918-12-20
GOOD ROADS NOW;
WHY WAIT FUTURE
Reconstruction Period Means
Big Road Problems for
Wisconsin. Illinois
Has Met Issue.

We are on the eve Of what is now
called the reconstruction period.
Many problems must be met in that
period One of Wisconsin's big prob
lens is the road problem. 1t behooves
us then, in order that we may deter
mine what to do, to find out where
we are at. Now is the time to think
and plan for the future, and to get
the preparatory work cleared away
for prompt accomplishment when
conditions become normal. We must
not drift. but plan and prepare.
AS more people arefhinlzing Of, and
interested in the main highways of
the state the State Trunk Highway
system, let us limit the discussion to
these
The State Trunk Highway Act was
a great piece of legislation. It's i'm
portance is in the fact that we have
a plan, have laid out a system. It's
lack is in fact that under it's terms,
with the money available under the
Act, it will take us a generation to
construct the system. The minimum
at which it can be built is approx
mately S50,000,OO0. The appropria-
lions available, S3,0O0,OOO year for
three years, or So, 100000 in all, means
that we can construct but One-fifth of
the system. 1t further means that il
we continue at that rate it will take
over IS years to finish the work. These
figures do not mean that we shall
build concrete roads on the entire
5000 miles. This would take 500, 600,
O00 In man counties, especially in
the central and northern part of the
state, the traffic conditions do not de-
mand this type of road and the ex-
penditure would not be Justified.
Do we want to, can we afford to
wait fifteen years to secure the con-
struction of our main roads? Our
neighboring state. Illinois, has ar
ranged to do it in five years. Visual
ize the situation by fixing in your
minds eye, the portion OF the State
Trunk Highway system in your coun-
ty. Are you willing to wait fifteen
years for the construction of these
main highways? Nine out of ten men
will answer-no! What. then are you
going to do about it?
Under the system of raising funds
by taxation from year to year, it will
be impossible to speed up the con-
struction work, as the tax which it
would be necessary to levy would be
beyond the means Of the people in
that short period We are speaking
especially Of those counties wherein
the traffic is exceedingly heavy and
which must needs build the higher
type OF road. In Upper Wisconsin
the problem is not acute. There is
only one way in which the main high
ways can be constructed within
reasonable time, as they should be,
and that is by having the counties
bond themselves for the construction
of an adequate system Of roads, the
state to pay its share Of the cost back
to the counties year by year, as the
legislature make state aid available.
AS State Highway Engineer z1irst has
trenchantly stated the problem:
sIhe road proposition and the cost
of structures has reached such ire
mendous proportions that the posi-
bility of financing the Immediately
necessary construction by direct taxa.
tion exists in very few counties. /"
Some good people will shake their
heads obviously at this suggestion,
and will mention that we have just
finished the great war. The war will
help a bond issue instead Of hindering
it, We have emerged from the
'pent up Utica" of small things.
The world is thinking in Continents
today. We have gone by the period
when the local grade. crossing was a
commanding issue. A great new era
is coming out of the holocaust. We
have amazed ourselves and the world
by accom- lislling the impossible.
America has always been the home
of energy, effort and accomplishment,
but the war has tapped new sources
of endeavor. and released pent up en-
ergies from a storehouse never known
or touched. Let US turn the cner-
gies which wen the war into winning
the battles of peace.
Coon ROADS For WISCONSIN.