The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1878-03-15
Miscellaneous.
Repairing Township Roads.

A bill has been presented to the House Of
Representatives at Harrisburg, and report
ed favorably by the Committee on Agricul
ture, which provides that the citizens of any
township representing at least two.thirds In
value of the taxable property of the town
ship, may request the road supervisors to
give out at public outcry, to the lowest and
best bidder, the making and repairing Of
the public roads of the township, for a term
Of three years. When there are not more
than twenty miles of road, the whole shall
be sold in one lot; where over twenty, in
two lots. All new roads shall be let In the
same way, with the opening and keeping
them in repair until the next letting.
The auditors of the townships shall pay
the contractors in monthly instalments the
supervisors are required to inspect the roads
twice month, and report to the auditors
and should the contractors have failed TO
keep the roads in repair according to their
contract, the auditors may decline to make
monthly payments until the roads are salts
factorily repaired. In case of a disagree
ment between the contractors, supervisors
aud auditors, the contractors may petition
the court to appoint viewers to view and re-
port to the court, which then may make
such decree as justice requires.
The purchasers of read contracts shall
give bond double the amount of their Con-
tracts (securty to be approved by the town
ship auditors) to comply with their contracts
file the same in the office of the Clerk of the
same approved by the court. In case the
lowest bidder fail within FIVE days to give
the required security, then the second shall
be notified to give it; if he fail, then a
resale shall be made. The supervisors shall
receive not exceeding two hundred and fif
ty dollars salary. to be fixed by the auditors
No supervisor shall be bidder, or have any
interest, directly or indirectly, in any Ioac
contract, and no bidder at the regular sale
who failed to give security, shall be permit
ted to bid at resale. Any neglect or vio
lation of duty by supervisor, auditor or con
tractor is made a misdemeanor, and the of
fender can be prosecuted and, if convicted
fined not xceeding two hundred dollar, or i'm
prisoned not exceedidg two months, or both
Each township accepting the provisions o
the act shall annually elect only one super
visor. Any supervisor refusing or neglect
ing to sell the making or repairing of road
can be compelled by mandsmus from th
Court of Quarter Sessions.
Iva hav nj ivap a oouciaa N, rv of III
act, because we deem it very importau
change in the laws for keeping the township
roads in repair. Some townships have spe
cial laws applicable to them for the sale o
the repairing of roads, but we believe tina
this bill, if generally accepted by the tar
payers of the different townships, would gi'
us better roads, at less cost to the taxpay
ers If this act is accepted by a township
the supervisors duty would be to pass owe
every road in his township twice ever
month, and the contractor would give hi
time to the work he had contracted to DE-
and with small force be constantly goin
over the roads. The supervisor would b
paid a small salary, just enough to compen
safe him for his time. The trouble with tn
roads now is that they are neglected and a.
lowed to get "bad" before being attended t;
while If taken in time the repairing of theI
would cost less, and they would always b
passable, and never really bad. 1t will b
the bounden duty of one man to keep ther
in repair, and of another to see that it
done, or be will not be paid, and both ar
liable tobe punished for neglecting to pei
form their respective duties. On the Who'll
we think the bill ought to be passed..