Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1920-06-02
ABOUT ROAD And
BRIDGE WORK
CHAIRMAN CARTER WRITES ON VITAL
MATTERS

CHAIRMAN CARTER WRITES ON VITAL
MATTERS
bead of Road Committee Explains MANY
Things IN Connection With Big County
Work
An 1916 the Federal Government entered ae-
lively into the road Improvement campaign. by
appropriating SS5.0oo,0 O0.e0, to aid the states
in the construction of post reads. That APP
propriation extended over period of years.
In February. 1915. congress made further
appropriation of sees, 10000. These ap-
preparations conditioned upon a prov ision
that the states must provide at least a ike
amount Wisconsin legislature wishing the
state to share in these appropriations pledged
the good faith of the state in making available
sums necessary to meet the amounts allotted
her from the federal government.
In order that the money should be available
the registration fee for automobiles commonly
known as Auto license" was raised from
SS:00 to Sl0.O0 per year, which is divided as
follows; LIST. The cost of the plates, mailing
etc, is deducted. End. One-fourth is maid
into the county treasury for the repairing and
maintaining state highways and roads on pro-
spective state aid highways. 3rd. There is set
ASIDE annually from the remaining q to the
state highway commission sum sufficient to
defray the cost of administration, which by the
way IS Sl93,0o0.00. 18th. There is set aside
from the remainder sum sufficient to pay the
states share, one-third, of the cost of con-
structlon under the federal aid law. 5th At
ter the above amounts have been set aside the
remainder is allotted by the State Highway
commission to the several counties for the
maintenance of the State Trunk Highways w..
ing within said counties
vernon eOunty's share of federal aid for the
three year period ending June 1920 was ap-
proximately S60.00O.0O, this sum had tn k
matched with like amount by the county and
likewise by the state. You helped pay the
states share by the increase in the auto n
eense, the county's share by general taxes.
This amount. S1S0.O0O.00, has been allotted
20 Ihree projects in the county, the first is
on state Trunk line No. IL. the Yiroqua- Rich
land Center road between Readstown and Su-
gar 1roVe piece of extremely heavy grading
costing around S40,0eO.00. This work was done
oy contract and is practically completed
The next project is under construction II
starts at the Southeastern Railroad track in
the city of Viroqua and extends in a north
cry direction for distance of 3 or ( miles
rms work consists of grading (cutting down
the hills so that in no place will thev exceed
~ and covering with tar bound macadam
10 ieet wide The binder in this kind of
wa y, and quoting from the manufacturers
makes a road smooth, dustess, mudIess
water proof, frost proof and automobile proof
IN nus piece OF work Is being done by the eoun-
oy day labor. You may wonder why this
work rs not being done by contract. Permit
ne ne 10 reply that We tried to: the date of lef-
ing was advertised in various periodicals hav-
ing TO do with road construction but no CON
tractor cared to bid on it, The State Highway
commission then turned the same over 10 ire
county Tor construction. When completed this
The 3rd project was to be an Is-foot CON
crete highway starting at the southeast corner
OF the city OF Viroqua. and extending south
east approximately three miles or as far as
SsO,OO0.0O would build. This project was also
advertised but no bidders appeared. There
was one however, who bid on a piece of like
w MS'k N monroe county on the same date, his
oia being S425 per yard, and was rejected
might say thai he county board or the counl
" committee fayC nothing to say where the
. i are 70 be Gai.t or the kind Of cOnstruc-
TynN -.
the County Clerk that they have determined
upon certain plce of road construction in the
eouhty me Following year. that the estimated
COST OF the same is many dollars and the
county IS asked TO provide for the payment az
ohe-tnird OF the cost of the same the other
swo-thirds being provided for by the state and
lou may say, why don't the county hoard
refuse TO make the appropriation? For this
reason the law is sHch that if a county re-
fuses, the secretary of state SHALL IL IL
next tax levy certify the amount against a.
county and Il shall be collected as All other
taxes are collected, thus there would be moth
'i'T TL saineu anu would delay the work year
Inc road and bridge committee believe in
building well but wisely. We do not believe h
wise to spend the tax payers money in building
GO SSS od mat Is going to cost S4O.OOO.O0 TO
would should we construct the concrete pro-
Iect designated by the Highway Commission
w nave mad meeting with the commission
ana are using our best endeayors to change
the class of construction from concrete to lar
bound Macadam. " '@'
=, That vast Improvements have been made in
the highways Of Vernon County | think no
one will question, great strides have bean
made IN construction and maintenance
wish to speak here of plan eyolved nv
me committee in the relocating of highways
merely eliminating the building of brides
.nat should have the approval of every tax nav
sr IN the county for the reason that when n
DIage mas to be constructed which costs In
excess of $500, the county must nav ali IL "
cess up to s4O0 and one-half the cost ahoxo
that amount. IT a road can be relocated fins
uolnR away with the building of a bridge th.t
Is habie to go out with the next flood. we ne
neye II good business for the county 10 helm
pay iof the right of way of new highway
anu mus ne renewed forever from paying for
unnecessary bridges. A glance at the nrn
eeedings of the county board will show that
tne county Is annually paving out thousa nd
OF dollars as its share of bridges that are liza
BILE to go out anytime
The maintenance fthe highways by the
patroimen Is the greatest improvement. That
there are patrolmen who are lax in their An
ties we know and are trying TO weed them ont
as last as possible. This year the county board
made provision for a maintenance superin-
tendent whose duly IL is TO look after the var
iOns patrolmen In the county. Should YOU
KNOW mat there IS patrolman who is not do
ing his work, il is your duty TO report him.
He's your hired man, your money Il paving
him. H's
II is the desire of the committee to see the
WORK OF highway improvement 20 forward
Dnt we do not propose TO build roads where the
cost is prohih.tive. There is nothing that will
cause Sacksliding in the road game so much
as 70 build highways at enormous cost wifhout
DE regard to the fundamental question of
whether the service TO be given by the high
WY justifies the outlay.
C. H. CARTER, Chairman.