Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1919-06-27
IMPORTANT HIGH
WAY LEGISLATION
Fifteen Million Dollars To Be
Spent On Main Highways
of State i'm Next
Three Years
BY T. A. Cannon. Executive Secretary
Good Roads Association of Wiscon-
sin.
Article No. [.

|.
TThis is the first of series of four
articles covering the important high
way legislation enacted by the 1919 ses-
sion of the legislature. A reading of
them will show that many vital changes
have been made.
A survey of the highway legislation
enacted by the 1919 session of the legis-
lature shows that many important
bills have been passed, making changes
in our highway laws, township, county
and state. The outstanding measures
enacted or changes made are incOrpOr-
ated in the following bills: s.,
The passage of a bill enlarging the
State Trunk Highway System from
5000 to not to exceed 1900 miles, re
vising legislation regarding bridges,
regulating the dangerous signboard
evil, and re-adjusting the allotment Of
the State Trunk Highway maintenance
| fund.
\ bill providing for a state tax of
| 81 100000, annually for three years. to
| be spent in 1920 1921, and 1922, to meet
allOtments made by the United States
government.
A bill regulating highway traffic, the
size, weight, tires and speed of
| vehicles.
a bill completely rewriting our town
road laws, and eliminating our old road
district, pay-your-r 0 d-taxes-in-la bor
system. This is highly important
measure
The joint legislative Highway Com
mttee worked studiously on the many
highway problems with the active CO.
operation of State Highway Engineer
\. r. Hirst. The legislature showed
most friendly attitude, and the 1919
session accomplished much toward
highway Improvement.
The first big piece of highway legisla
ton to be taken up in this session was
the State Trunk Highway System
should be increased from 5000 to not
to exceed $500 miles. In selecting the
new mileage the same procedure will be-
followed as in laying out the original
system. The determination will rest
w
five members. acting in conjunction
with the Wisconsin Highway Commits
sion and hearings will be held through
out the state to determine where addi-
tional mileage shall be placed on the
system.
In another bill was Incorporated adj
ditiOnal financing for the construction
IL L. T.rrl,x
Two years ago, when the original State
Trunk Highway Act was passed, to
conform with the provisions of the Fed
eral Aid Road Act, it was necessary for
the state to raise the sum of 81 1,925,O00
to meet the federal appropriation of an
diversion Of the three quarters Of the
automobile license fees, which thereto
fore went to the countless to the state
| highway fund, and the raising Of the
| fee to $1,000 per car. This law also re-
quired that the counties should raise
an amount equal to that raised by the
| state and federal government, making
total of $5,776.24S for construction on
the State Trunk Highways, one-third
| from each of the units of government
mentioned.
Under an Act of Congress passed last
March increasing the federal apprO-
priatiOn, Wisconsin was allotted, in
| addition to the original amount, $5,
091 1856, to be spent in the three years
1920 1921 and 1922, for highway con
structiOn. The state is required to
equal this amount To do this, bill
has been passed by the legislature pro-
viding for the levying of tax of
| 81, 100000 available for use in the three
years 1920, 1921 and 1922, and making
total of $5,10o,00O AS in the orig
inal State Trunk Highway Act, the
counties are required to raise an equal
amount making a total of $15,275,35S
made available by the present legisla-
ture for construction on the State
Trunk Highway System, the federal
government, the state, and the coun-
ties each paying one-third. AS under
the act of two years ago noted above,
$5,776,24S was made available, this
means total of $21 ,051 ,G06 spent or to
| be spent on State Trunk Highway con-
struction i'm the years 1913 to 1922 in
elusive.
The State Trunk Highway Act of
| 1917 marked the beginning. 1t gave us
the skeleton of great state highway
system, provided for the road-marking
provided for the patrol maintenance,
and made available the initial apprO-
priation for contraction. The addi-
tional appropriation Eill enable con-
struction to be pushed rapidly.
EA-
Fg0ME TALENT ENTERTAINMENT
y L.. 4Ic.l lnn