Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1919-07-18
AUTO SPEED
LIMIT RAISED
Provision Also Made in New Law
For Snow Removal When
1t Is Desired

By f. A. Cannon, Executive Secretary
| Good Roads Association of Wisconsin
ARTICLE NO.
| TThiS is the last of series of four ar
| ticles covering the important high
| way legislation enacted by the 1919
! session of the legislature A reading
| of them will show that many vital
| changes have been made.
In the amended State Trunk High
are found many enactments of much in
terest governing highway Improvement
and the regulation of highway traffic,
| the main ones of which are covered be-
low.
| An important measure, not in its inn
mediate consequences, but looking into
the future, is the Wilcox resolution en-
powering the state to bond for highway
purposes. This provides for constitu-
tional amendment providing that the
state may bond for the construction of
| highways, provided that the debt thus
created shall never exceed in the aggre-
gate more than l per cent of the last
state assessment. At the present time,
for instance, this would empower the
state to bond in the sum of $4,000, 900.
However, this measure must go over
until the legislature of 1921, and if it is
| favOrably acted upon at that time, it
must be voted on by the people at the
general election of 1922. If the people
vote favorably, future legislatures
would be empowered to bond as indi-
Gated
| One of the evils noted by tourists in
travelling is the danger caused by ad-
vertising signs at highway intersec-
tions obstructing the view. The amend
ed State Trunk Highway Act bars all
such signs from highway from point
within 1000 feet of the highway inter-
section. unless permission is obtained
| for erecting the same from the officials
in charge The latter are empowered to
remove signs erected in violation of the
statute The triangles formed by ada
cent intersecting highways within the
| field are also declared prohibited ter
ritory for danger producing signs, and
| the barred limit is made 1000 feet from
the intersection.
| In the much discussed matter of
| snow removal, the chief change is
section providing that if the State
| Highway Commission shall receive
petition signed by at least fifty persons
certifying that they would often travel
| a certain section of road in pursuit OF
| their ordinary occupation, and it the
State Highway Commission shall deter
mine that the public interest demands
/ it. they may direct the county officials
| to keep it open to travel if it is not kept
open by the local units.
| A provision is also Incorporated i'll
| this bill making it a punishable mis-
demeanor to remove or deface any sign,
guide post, or marker erected by the
state or municipality.
| Two measures which were passed of
| interest to automobile owners are one
raising the legal speed limit OF automo-
biles on highways from 25 to 30 miles
| an hour. and another relating to head
lights on motor vehicles, and devised
| to remedy the head light glare evil.
Such vehicles under these sections are
required to carry lights which will en-
able the driver to distinguish objects
| 200 feet ahead and to be of such char
acter as to avoid dangerous glare or
dazzle. The important section OF the
| bill is that which enacts that, subject
| TO this requirement. it is made the du-
| ty of the Industrial Commission to in
yestigate and determine what are
reasonable standards of lighting equip
ment for motor vehicles and for their
use and adjustment, so as to make the
use of the highways by such vehicles
safe. and to issue such orders as they
deem necessary to carry out these stan
dards. and make for the safety OF
highway traffic This is new depar-
ture in Wisconsin, and will undOubted-
| ly work out very well.
IT is made misdemeanOr to plOW,
cultivate, or otherwise work any land
in such way as to Obstruct the drain
age of any highway ditch, or to operate
any farm or other machinery on, along,
or across any highway so as to mater
tally damage it.
A bill introduced by Speaker Young
requires that brush and trees shall be
kept cut at the approach to railroad
grade crossings for at least 300 feet
if they obscure the view.
l