The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-04-10
The Proposed New Road Law.

the appointment OF state supervisor
of Public Roads, who must be prac-
tical engineer, to hold Office three
years, with headquarters at Harris
burg.
County road supervisors are to be
appointed by District road overseers, in
the same manner as County Superin-
tendents are now chosen by school di
rectors, and to hold office for three
years.
Every township, borough and city
in the State will constitute public
road district Three district road over
seers are to be chosen at the Spring
election to serve for three years, and
the boards will meet in April for or
gauization, and to elect a district road
master.
Sec. 3S. Provides Tor State appro-
priation of one million of dollars, to
pay salary and expenses of State super
visor, county supervisors, and the bal
ance to be apportioned among the sew
eral counties in proportion to the mum
Der of miles of roads of the first class
within their respective limits Pro.
pided, That no district in the State
shall receive its quota of said State ap-
preparation until it levies and collects
an annual tax at least equal in amount
to its quota of the State appropriation
and complies with all the other provis
ions of this act.
Sec. 80. All real estate and person.
al property, stocks, bonds, mortgages
and occupations that are made objects
of taxation for county and school pur.
poses may 10 like manner be made Oh
iects of taxation for road purposes.
Valuation of property to be the same
as for county and school purposes.
Tax levied for road purposes not to be
in excess of that levied for school pur
poses in any district.
Sec. Al. Special taxes shall be as
sessed as follows Upon every horse
or mule, three years old or over an an
nual tax of one dollar for each animal.
Upon every wheeled vehicle in the
district 25 cents per wheel per annum.
Wagons of heavy draught carrying
three tons and upwards and not pro-
vided with broad wheels of at least
four inches across the tire, to pay dou-
BILE, or so cents per wheel.
Sec. 46. County Road Supervisors
authorized to receive and consider Pc
titions of citizens or district Road
Overseers for the laying out of new
roads or vacating old ones, and to
make formal application to court for
authority to open or vacate such roads.
Whereupon the court shall appoint
three road jurors or viewers and APP
praisers, who shall visit and view the
proposed route for a new road, giving
at least three days notice of such visit
by handbills to parties interested. AT
ter viewing the proposed route and as
sessing the damage, if any, to real es-
tate owners, to make report to the
court appointing such jurors-which
after hearing all the parties in interest
shall confirm or reject such application
for new road and fix the damages.
The decree of the court to be final and
no further court proceedings shall
be required, and no extra damages al
lowed in any case for the opening of
such new road.
There are numerous other provisions
in the bill, but the above is general
synopsis.
On this subject we endorse the
Philadelphia Times which says:
The elaborate system of road super
vision proposed by the Goblin bill does
not gain in favor as it becomes better
known throughout the State. Appar-
emily the chief reason for expecting it
to work we'll is the fact that it is based
on the States system of school super.
vision, which is assumed to have been
a brilliant success. What relation
there is between the management of
schools and the management of coun-
try roads that could make methods
that were successful in the one case
applicable to the other is something
that the friends of the Goblin bill do
not condescend to explain. Their en-
tire stock in trade seems to consist of
a monotonous reiteration of this SINH
larity of methods and of the weary
complaint of the rural traveller "Any.
thing would be an improvement on the
present road system"
If there is anything the matter with
the present road laws good way is to
lind out what il is and not TO repeal them
altogether and substitute an entirely
now set of road laws. Perhaps after
the new laws have been in force five
years the people will know as much
about them-where they work we'll
and where they dont and why-as
they know about the present laws. To
all who are net interested in an office
making job it would seem that the
shortest way to real road reform is TO
| find out what is the weak point of our
present system of road laws and apply
the remedy, retaining and enforcing in
the meantime those provisions which
are found to work we'll
| There is far more demand in the
country neighborhoods of the State for
the repeal of the section which pro,
vides that citizen may work out his
road tax instead OF paying 1t than fol-
any new system of road regulation
As rule, road supervisors are elected
because they are good fellows, or good
Republicans, or good Democrats, and
not because they are energetic busi
ness men who know how to make good
roads. Half the time the road tax rs moi
collected, but is worked out by turning
the mud upside down with a hoe two
hours in the morning and two hours il
the afternoon. No wonder the countr,
roads are bad.
| Apparently all that is needed is t,
abolish the working-out of th,
road tax and to elect good Supervisor
in every township, as contemplated b,
existing laws. The first step would 10
sure money enough to make the road
good, if properly spent, and the secont
the selection of men who would spenC
! the money properly when it was col
lected. 1t is question of nothing il
the world but the raising of money
and the choice of menwho know how
to spend it. The complicated machiner,
provided by the Goblin bill is who'll,