The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-05-12
A PROPOSED ROAD LAW.

sentative in the Legislature from Bato1
Rouge, has prepared the following a
a text of } bill, regarding q new roa'
law, which he will introduce at tn,
present session of the Legislature. A
will be clearly seen from its reading
tue bill CONTAINS practical ideas ant
would doubtless be a great improve
ment upon the present road system, il
this that it would give to each distric
some ready means to apply to the i'm
provement of its roads, and induce al
classes to work the roads with the
view of increasing the school fund o.
their ward, from such unexpended bal
ances as could be saved by the volun.
tary work of all citizens interested in
the maintenance oftheir public school
Here is the bill
AN ACT
Providing for the establishment by Police
Juries in the parishes of the State, the
parish OF Orleans excepted, Of special
parish roads and the levying Of tax
for their maintenance and support.
SECTION I. Be it enacted by the Gene
raj Assembly of the State of the State of
Louisiana, that it shall be the duty of the
Police Juries of the several parishes of
the State, the parish of Orleans excepted,
to create or establish special OF preferred
parish roads and to levy an annual tax,
not exceeding one mill on the dollar, up
on amount of assessmedt of all taxable
property in the parish for their mainte-
nance and support.
SEC. 2. The Police Juries shall select
such roads from the principal roads of the
parish, dividing the same into special
road districts, each district to be wholly
within the limits of a Police Jury ward,
and on the distribution of the said road
tax assign and credit to each district
just and fair share of said fund.
Sec. 3. The Police Jury shall appoint
from its body two road commissioners
who, together with third appointed by
them from each road district, tho latter
to act only in and for his own district,
shall have control of and annually deter
mine the nature and amount of work to
be done, two of said commissioners to act
in the absence of a third.
Sec. 4. The said commissioners shall
personally visit each road district and Of
fer the work to such responsible and ca
pable citizens as they may select, giving
preference to those who live within the
district and travel most upon said road.
They shall point ont and make written
specifications of the work to be done, CIV
ing copy of the same to the contractor,
who shall not be road commissioner of
The district.
SEC. 4. Upon completion of the work
The commissioners shall personally exam
me the same and if done in compliance
with the contract they shall report the
same at the next meeting Of the jury when
The claim shall be approved and the con-
;ractor be entitled to be paid. The CON-
nissioners shall be allowed mileage at the
ate of ten cents per mile when the dis
;ance traversed is five miles and over.
Sec. g. If upon examining the roads Of
my district preparatory to their being
worked, the commissioners find them in
uch condition as to require less outlay
han the amount credited to that district,
hey are empowered and required to con-
ract as above directed for the amount of
work necessary to be done, and upon
completion and approved of the work they
hall report to the jury as directed.
SEC. Z. It shall be the duty of Police
Iuries to cause to be kept by the parish
'uditor nd..treasurer accounts with the
'arious road districts, and any surplus
to the credit of any district
'fter paying for work dones.shall be due
o the school fund of the ward in which
UGH road district is located, and the jury
hall cause the same to be paid to the
Treasurer of the School Board of the Par
sh, who shall credit the amount to the
chool fund of that ward.
Sec. 8. This act shall take effect from
nd after the first day of January, 1887.
mother Railroad for Our Town Here.
So much as general proposition. In
irect connection with the subject, we
earn that Mr.. Beardsley, of Washington,
TX, passed through this city few days
ince on his way to Homer, in the interest
an enterprise he has in contemplation,
amely, the building Of the Arkansas and