Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1919-12-31
A REVIEW OF The
HIGHWAY MOVEMENT
WISCONSIN HAS ACCOMPLISHED
MUCH In PAST YEAR-AT-
TRACTS MANY TOURISTS.
BIG PROGRAM FOR 1920.

At the opening of the new year, a
survey of the highway movement, in
the retrospect, for 1919, and the pros
pect, for 1920 reveals condition of
amazing progress.
For the year 1919 there are two
outstanding factors in the story of the
highway movement.
The first is tn t the year just closed
saw the highways of Wisconsin in
better condition than ever before.
This was due to the system of patrol
maintenance and road marking, and
is a testimony to the foresight of
State Highway Engineer A. r. Hirst,
in providing for these features as a
part Of the State Trunk Highway Act.
Improvement of Our Highways.
AS a result of this maintenance
Wisconsin became known in 1919 as
the state with the best highways in
the middle west This statement was
borne out in a tangible way by the
tremendous tourist traffic which
sought the highways of Wisconsin in
that year Never in it's history was
there so great volume of tourist
travel in Wisconsin-all brought
about by the condition of the roads
and the standardized road marking.
1t has been stated that the roads
in Wisconsin in 1919 were the best
in the middle west. 1t can be stated
without contradiction that the road
marking of the Wisconsin roads is the
best in America.
The second outstanding factor was
the progress of the movement to bond
counties for highway Improvement.
Up to this time and not including
Marathon and Calumet counties, which
will vote on December 30th, fourteen
counties have voted to issue bonds in
the sum Of $35,S50 900. A large part
Of this Improvement will be in the
nature of paved highways. Work will
begin next year, the initial step in the
development of splendid system Of
hard surfaced highways in these coun-
ties.
The Year 1919.
the year 1919 there was
spent on the patrol maintenance of
the state aid trunk highways $1,000
000
There was spent on construction
over S5,000,000. The chief factor in
the construction program was the be-
ginning of work on some Of the main
travelled highways in the state, A
large part of a concrete highway from
Green Bay to Fond du Lac has been
finished, two small gaps remaining to
be completed next year. Rapid pro-
gress was made on the Beloit-Janes-
Vile road Work was begun on a con-
crete highway connecting Crystal
Falls and Eau Claire.
Legislation in 1919.
Important legislation passed at the
last session of the legislature pro-
vided for the addition Of $500 miles
to the state trunk highway systems a
total of $500 miles, which will be
road marked the same as the balance
OF the system and upon which patrol
maintenance will be placed
A bill was passed changing the
method of handling township roads,
wiping out the road district and the
system of permitting road taxes to be
worked out in labor, providing for a
township road superintendent and the
payment of road taxes in cash.
Another important measure will re-
suit in the elimination of the danger
tons and for the removal of trees
and brush obstructing the view at
highway crossings. A third measure
is one regulatory of the weights of
loads of motor trucks on highways.
AS the result of further legislation a
model automobile headlight law is
now being devised.
The Outlook for 1920.
The year 1920 will mark the peak
point in highway construction in the
state. The funds are available, a sys-
tenn of coordination between mater
ial men, contractors, and highway of
ficials is being worked out and the
construction work will probably run
to $15,000,000. A large part of this
work will be in the form of paved
roads under the county bond issues,
in Racine, Washington, Dodge, Fond
du Lac, Brown, Ozaykee, Wood, Doug
las, Waukesha, Walworth, Green,
Rock and Jefferson counties. The ex-
penditures in each of these counties
under the bond issues will range from
100000 to $600,0O0 in addition to the
federal state aid.
The year 1920 ushers in the biggest
road program ever attempted in Wis
consin, which will mean that in five
or six years the thickly populated por-
ton of the state will have it's main
highways paved as good as the ay-
erage city street.