The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1920-03-04
STATE AND COUNTY
HIGHWAYS AND TAXES

signed "a Farmer" advising voters this
spring to elect chairmen in the differ
ent towns in your county who would
be opposed to high taxes and bonds
for trunk and state and county high
wavs, and who would make a firm
stand against the food of highway
taxes which are now levied, or posi-
bic to levy for, such highways. But
likely "Mr. Farmer" who so writes
does not know that but few if any
chairmen of towns will be chosen this
coming spring. Such chairmen used
to be elected for one year each spring
election, A few years ago "the pow
crs at Madison" decided better elect
such chairmen for three years, and
that whenever county board adopted
a resolution to that effect, all chairmen
of towns thereafter elected shall hold
Office and serve for the term of three
years. So if your county board adopt
ed said resolution, and no doubt but it
likely did, then "a Farmer" and the
various towns must wait until the end
of the three year term before they can
make the suggested wise change The
guardian angels at Madison have
also passed laws that if the county fails
to levy taxes and to properly keep up
and maintain a state and county high
way, the said state highway commits
sion, can step in and levy such tax, or
do such work and the county shall pay
therefor. As | now recall under those
good republican laws county board
can of its own yOliton levy such taxes
for such highways not exceeding four
mills on the dollar of the assessed val
uation of the real and personal prop
erty of said county In a neighboring
county where the people at special
election rejected highway bonds as
your county did, the county board of
said county a few weeks later levied
1872, 600 such highway taxes on its
county for the year 1920. The people
say "No" and the county board says
EYES," empowered to do so by our wise
state laws.
And yet when politicians ask next
fall for your vote you will see in all
republican platforms and newspapers
how anxious they are to care for and
protect 1.-THE farmer and to make rail
roads and corporations pay all the
taxes, and the farmers little or none"
and the tax-burdened farmer will com
placently walk up to the polls and cast
his ballot for the republican candi-
dates from governor to aSsemblyman
who pass and sign such highway tax
laws.
The place wheer the main trouble is
is in the legislature which passes such
laws as your "A Farmer" correspond
cnt complains of. Cut at the roots in
stead of Topping off limb, my friend,
and then you lop off all the limbs.
Again, by chapter 5lS of laws of
Wisconsin, 1919, all highway taxes in
towns in this state hereafter must be
paid in cash, and said law provides that
the various town boards shall select
and appoint town highway Superin-
tendent of highways for said town and
fix his salary at not to exceed $4,000,
and may also furnish him sum
monthly for the care and upkeep of a
horse and rig, or an automobile" And
such superintendent shall build and re-
pair all highways and bridges in said
town and hire men to do so, and he
can also appoint as many assistants as
may be necessary to aid him in so do
ing and the town taxpayers pay for all
thereof. SO superintendent of highways
system now extends from the state
highway commission through to the
various county boards and county
highway commissioners down and into
the towns in each county, and taxpay-
crs shell out the money to pay the
whole. Is it any wonder the amounts
shown by the tax receipts of each tax
payer is very much larger each year?
Mr.. Taxpayer, you vote for it at each
state election and it is handed out to
you in a good round sum, increasing
each year.
In trunk and state and county high
ways the county must buy and alone
pay for and keep up all the machn-
cry, tools, wagons and other machines
necessary and the county and towns
must keep such highways clear of snow
and open in winter continuously (pages
1908 and 1916, Il. 5. Wis, 1910, at
their expense, and if any accident or
cause Of action arises on any such
highway suit is brought alone against
the county, and not against the coun-
try or state (Sec Sections (, 5 and G.,
page 1908 II. 5. 1917 Wis., And now
town boards can not hereafter grant
any public utility, telephone or tele-
graph company, the right to build,
erect or maintain any such utility in
any such trunk or state and county
highway until same is approved by the
state highway commission Even a
culvert in such a highway can not now