The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-04-23
nhaNew RoadLaW.

The New Road Law.
The new road law passed by the
last legislature just before adjourn
ment is as sweeping and general as
the cursing it is receiving. 1t wipes
cut all others and 'includes all
laws On this subject in one act"
The county court of Giles adjourn
ed on on the first Monday to meet
the goth in order to begin
work under this enactment.
1t is the opinion. freely expressed
among the judges of such matters
here and those who have the ad-
ministration of the county govern
ment that the solons in the legisla-
ture have made the road law worse
and worse every time they have
tackled it, and that they have never
made a greater stride in this direc-
ton than in the last instance. Be
this as it may, it is now eur only !
road law, and for the benefit OF
those who may not have an oPpor-
tunity of reading it in full we give
here, as concisely as possible, its
purport.
In the first place, all roads laid
out agreeable to law shall be deem
ed public roads. The counties
shall be divided into road districts
and one commissioner shall be
elected by the county court for
each district. The court may al
ter or change these districts at the
January term. The commissioners
shall serve at least one term, or one
year, and any eligible person who is
elected to the Office shall be guilty
of misdemeanor if he refuse to act,
unless the couHty court excuse him.
, Each commissioner shall have con-
troll of the highways and bridges
IN his district and shall have gener-
al supervision Of the overseers of
. his district, and direct the manner
. of working roads in said district;
and it shall be the duty Of said
overgeer to work the public roads
p as directed by said commissioner" "
D The commissioner may contract with
e a taxpayer and give him credit for
9 work done on a road. The COM
s missioner is bound under oath to
j. perform his duties and to pocket
no public money that comes into his
hands. The commissioners have
D the appointment of all road over
! seers, and may require bonds of them
E for any road tools that he may de-
liver into their possession, and shall
settle all disputes between overseers
e and hands. Applications to open
roads must be made to the commits
siOner or commissioners through
f whose district or districts the pro-
9 posed road may run. Parties ag-
: grieved by his arbitration may ap-
peal to the county court. All par
i, ties refusing to work or to commute
! may be sued by the overseers.
ANY person EhO shall put, or
cause to be put, any brush, briars,
1 or any other obstruction upon any
I highway, shall be guilty of a mis-
! demeanor, and shall be fined as in
. other misdemeanors, and the fine
s shall be paid to the county trustee
e and shall be expended by him as
r other highway tax; and such per-
, son or persons shall be liable for
any damage caused by such OBJ
S structions." Overseers shall re
ceive $I.00 a day for their services.
Prisoners confined in the county Jail
shall be available to the comissiOn
er for the purpose of working them
on the public roads. All males
t ever IS and under As, unless, per
- manently disabled, are subject to
highway labor, and may be requir-
ed to work mot less than three not
more than six days. The road tax
on property shall not be less than
five or more than twenty cents on
the 500 worth, and on privileges
not more than one-fourth of the
assessment for county purposes.
Half the assessment may be paid
in work, if the county court so pro
vide, which provision has been
made in Giles. The county trus-
tree is to collect the taxes. The
above covers all the important pro-
visions of the act, from which it
will be seen that the county court
is relieved under the new of great
deal of work which was required of
them by the old law and these duties
are shifted to the shoulders of the
commissioners The latter are there
fore very important officers in the
county. They are arbitrators, yet
from their decision lies an appeal
to the county court.