Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1922-12-23
PROPOSED NEW HIGHWAY
LEGISLATION.
From Good Roads Association 0
Wisconsin.


Wisconsin.
Shall the state raise $4,000, 900 a
year for the next three years to
meet the federal aid which has been
allotted to Wisconsin for road inn
proyement? To get this money
Wisconsin must raise an equal
amount
Shall the state continue the system
Of patrol maintenance on the state
trunk highways and the county
trunk highways? This involves an
expenditure of about S6,OO0,000
year.
These are the two main questions
that confronted the Legislative Com
mittee of the Wisconsin County
Boards Association during the sever
al conferences it had to determine
on recommendations to be made to
the legislature for a highway pro-
gram.
They answered both questions in
the affirmative. Ninety-five per
cent Of the people Of Wisconsin
would do the same thing. If we
don't raise a sum to that allotted 20
the state for federal aid for road i'm
provement we lose the federal aid
and it is allotted to other states. It
would be almost absurd to think
that Wisconsin would thus willingly
lose $2,200,000 year.
Then about patrol maintenance.
If there is anything that appeals to
the people of the state in our high
way program it is the patrol main
tenance of our roads. The result
of the patrol maintenance of 1900
miles of state trunk highways has
Head the counties of their own mo-
ton to put under patrol maintenance
$500 miles of road. This tells the
story. Again, it may be said that
ninety-five per cent of the people Of
Wisconsin would vote in favor Of
continuing this maintenance.
1t will take $2,200,000 year to
meet the federal aid and $6,000,000
for maintenance-$8, 100000 in all.
OF course there are other items to be
met but these are the larger factors.
1t may be fairly assumed that there
is an overwhelming sentiment in
Wisconsin for meeting the federal
aid and continuing patrol mainten-
ance.
The next problem to meet, then,
was how to get the money. We have
been meeting the federal aid in the
past by a general property tax.
That apparently is out of question.
The general property tax has reach
ed the peak point and there is de-
mand for halt There is every in
dication that a bin providing for a
general property tax for roads
would be overwhelmingly beaten in
the legislature. That removes this
source of funds from consideration.
Then there are incomes and sur.
taxes. Two years ago the bills in.
creasing the surtaxes and income
, taxes which were introduced and de
! feated provided for the use of prac-
, tically all Of the money received for
, common school, normal school and
i university purposes leaving small
! residue for roads The returns
, from income taxes have sharply
fallen off--have been cut in two. II
is safe to say there will be no funds
from this source available for roads
The only source left is the motor
6 vehicle--to levy heavier imposts or
! the users of the road-and this is tbs
remedy which the committee decided
! upon. The motor vehicle created
! the demand for road maintenance
and the demand for modern roaC
construction and it gets large shar,
of the benefits and pays small share
, of the cost. For this reason it wa!
decided that the motor vehicle SHOULD
i provide the funds to meet the FEEDER
al aid and furthermore provide tbs
/ funds to meet the maintenance. Al
the present time the motor vehicle
furnishes about 100000 fol-
! maintenance and the counties ar,
; taxing themselves almost $500, 00C
I in addition in order to get adequate
; funds,