Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1919-07-24
Article No. 8.

, consin.)
Article No. 8.
This is the third of series of four
articles 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.
There is a volume known as the Wis
consin Town Laws, published in 1917,
containing 1470 pages, and herein are
contained. of course, the laws regard
ino town highways and bridges. The
first were enacted in 1849, and they
have been added to from session to seg-
oian Of the legislature since that time.
The fundamental law governing the
maintenance and construction of town
reads and bridges, however, has re-
mained the same until this session of
the legislature. when by the passage
of bill 533A, the town road laws are
rewritten so far as the management
of highway construction and mainten-
ance is concerned. The change is an
ep0chal one.
Under the old law, the towns were
divided into road districts, averagin ing
about six miles of road each, which
were in charge of a road district boss,
sometimes called a pathmaster. The
option was given to the Town Board
to provide that town taxes should be
paid in cash or worked out in labor.
There are $4,000 pathmasters or dis
trict road bosses in Wisconsin today,
| md there is charged on the town books
| SIS 900 900 a year as road taxes paid.
The system was fundamentally
wrong, and the lack of results was ap-
parent. Recently more and more the
farmers began to see it, and began to
see that the only solution was to wipe
out the road district system and to
provide for one competent, responsible
central authority in charge Of road
work, and to further provide for the
paving of road taxes in cash.
This. in brief, is what Bill 533A does.
It authorizes the Town Board to ap-
point and fix the compensation Of COM
petent person to superintend the con-
struction or repair of all highways
and bridges, subject to the direction
rf the Town Board to be knownNas the
Superintendent of Highways. He shall
,orve for one wear, and give bond for
the faithful performance of his duties.
He may be paid in lieu Of all other
compensation an annual salary, pay
| ,hln monthly. and the board is allow
ed to make him a monthly allowance
for the upkeep of horse and veh,-
Gle or automobile or motor truck.
His duties shall be to supervise the
construction and maintenance of all
roads, bridges, and culverts; to keep
the highways passable at all seasons;
and to make full and complete reports
to the Town Board yearly or When re-
1ulroQ. Blank 1OrulS 1OI IIiiS 1lV W
be furnished by the Highway Commits
sion. He may make arrangements for
the appointment of as many foremen
las needed.
The option of working out the road
tax is eliminated, and the supervisors
are required to levy and collect in cash
such taxes as may be needed. All pay
ments for work shall be by warrant
drawn upon the Town Treasurer, sign,
ed by the Town Superintendent, ano
countersigned by the Town Chairman
and complete records are to be kept
Formal contracts are required to bt
approved by the Town Board.
This marks new epoch in high
way Improvement in Wisconsin; ant
will undoubtedly mean vast improve
ment. Iowa, Minnesota, and Illinois
have abandoned the old town system
and a number of towns in Wisconsin
have done so, and found they were saw
ing money and vastly improving thei
roads.