Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-05-08
COUNTY AFFAIRS.
Should the Work House Force be Employ
ed on the Streets Of clarksyllle 2

To the Chronicle.
Chapter 81, Tennessee Acts, 1888; an
act to provide for the appointment of
Jail and work-hoGse commissioners for
Montgomery county and to define their
duties. The above act was passe ed
March 2, 1883, approved March %,
1888.
This was a special act passed for
Montgomery county, and section 1st be
it enacted "that at its April term, 1888,
and at its January term each year
thereafter the quarterly court of Mont
gomery shall elect three householders
or freeholders residents of the county,
of lawful age to act with the county
Judge as commissioners of the county
Jail, which has been declared the work
house by the quarterly court Of said
county"
Section enacts that the said COM
missloners and county Judge, in add-
ton to the duties that devolve on them
under sections 5425, 5426 and 5427 of
the code, shall have complete supervis-
ion and control of the county jail and
work-house, shall be authorized to en-
ploy competent physician to attend
the inmates. They shall be authorized
to work the county prisoners upon the
public roads Of the county with the
consent OF the road commissioner
(three in each district, acts March 20,
1881 of the district in which the work
is to be done. Compensation of Jail
commissioners, $3.50 per day and
milage, not to exceed ten days in a
year.
Our present road law enacted the 4th
of April, 1885, chapter 2 page 33, styled
an act to rugulate the working and
laying out of public roads and to
compile the road law, aud to include
all laws on this subject in one act, re.
pealed all laws in conflict with sald act.
On the same day the present road
law was enacted a law was enacted ere
ating county boards of health and all
laws or parts of laws in conflict with
this act was also repealed In these two
subsequent acts section 42 OF chapter z
and section Of chapter 50 repealed
parts OF section 2 passed % March, 1888
defining duties of Jail commissioners.
Under the present road law such com
missioner has control of the highways
and bridges in his district, general super
vision and appointment Of oyerseers,
and the overseer shall work the roads
as directed by said commissioner, may
contract with any tax payer to perform
any labor upon the highway or to fur
nlsh any mateterial for the same and
give the necessary credit for the same.
Sec. 7, shall classify roads in their
respective districts into three classes,
assign hands to each overseer. Sec. IA
all applications to open, change or close
a road shall be made to the commits
sioner OF the district and may employ q
surveyor to locate roads. Sec. Is, com
missioners may purchase tools that can
not be furnished by the hands and tax
payers and timber and other materia
to keep the highways and bridges in re
pair, and may contract for building
necessary bridges and other work to bt
paid for by the commissioner with any
money in the hands OF the county trus
tee belonging to the road fund, but they
shall not contract any debt to be paic
, for by any future assessment unless au
thorized by the county court. Ou
justices to nominate and elect road
commissioners, and these road com
missioners have extraordinary jurisdic
ton and onorous duties to perform ant
are only allowed ten per cent. of thI
road tax for all their valuable services
, In No. 4 it will amount to about 800
this year under five cent assessment
! We ought to have road tax of at leas
, fifteen cents on the hundred dollars +
cary out the provisions of our road law
We need good county roads, we nee
bridges across our creeks, foot-logs wit
hand rails across all streams, we nee,
3 mile posts giving distance to count.
/. seat or prominent places on all road
9 and guide posts at all crossroads {
! forks of roads directing to the mo;
f public place on each road, yet we hay,
> very few of these good things i
any part OF the county. The over
!. seers and commissioners are indicsabl
i for neglect Of duty not more than 5000
and for continued neglect to keep tn
e highways in good repair not mare tha
$4,000.
! Page 2, the county judge shall Civ
4 this act in charge to the grand juror:
y but it shall be good defence for an