Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-08-01
CHAPTER 1881.


revision of 1882.
CHAPTER 1881
AN ACT to Provide For the Improvement of
tho Principal Highways Throughout the
State, and For the Encouragement Of Better
Methods Of Roadmaking by Towns.
II is enacted by the General Assembly as fol-
lows:
SECTION !. Upon the passage of this act,
the General Assembly In grand committee
shall elect some person who Is a competent
civil engineer AS state commissioner of high.
ways, to hold said Office from the date Of his
election until the first Monday in April, 1900,
and until his successor Is elected and quail
He'd At the January session Of the General
Assembly, 1900, and at the January session in
each fifth year thereafter, the General As
sembly in grand committee shall elect the
same or some other such person as state com
missioner or highways, to hold said office for
the term OF five year from the first Monday
In April occurring during such session, and
until his successor Is elected and qualified:
Provided, that IL any person 30 elected or his
successor appointed or elected, as hereinafter
provided. shall refuse to accept said Office, or
shall resign the same or shall die the govern
or may appoint some such person to fill the
same until his successor Is elected by the Gen.
eral Assembly In grand committee, which
election shall be for the remainder Of the un-
expired term OF five years Of the office so va
qualified
SEC. 2. Said state commissioner OF highways
shall receive salary OF three thousand dol
lars per anpum, payable monthly; said com.
missioner shall have an Office In the city Of
Providence: and he may incur expense for
office rent, travelling, when officially employ
cd. clerk hire, and charges Incidental and
necessary to the performance Of his duties, in
q sum not exceeding fifteen hundred dollars
annually.
SEC. 8. Whenever the town council Of any
town. or the board Of aldermen Of any city,
any principal highway, which Is much used
rs thoroughfare for wheeled vehicles in
common by the people Of such town or city,
and Of any adjoining town or city, Ii not In Q
satisfactory condition for the purposes for
which it Is used, and ought to be rebuilt un-
der this act, and shall furnish to him an 90
ourate plan of the layout, occupation lines and
profile and established grade Of such high
way, IL there be any such grade, said state
commissioner shall forthwith examine the
premises and II in his opinion said represen.
bation is well founded in fact, he shall deter
mine what changes ought to be made in said
existing layout and grades Of said highway,
what portion OF said highway ought to be re-
built, and in what manner, and shall prepare
accurate plans and make careful detailed es.
Inmates Of the expense OF the work which in
his opinion should be done, which plans and
than three rods in width. and shall report to
the town council or board of aldermen Of ev-
cry town or city within which said highway
Is to be changed, according to the plans pre-
pared by him. plan Of the work proposed to
be done, and the proportion Of the estimated
cost thereof, which, in his opinion, each town
or city should bear under the provisions Of
this act.
SEC. A. Said commissioner shall also trans
NIT to the general assembly copy of said re-
port made by him to the towns or cities; and
shall also report to the general assembly
whether or not, In his Judgment, the i'm.
provement will be Of such value as to warrant
the general assembly In making an appro-
priation therefor; and also shall report to the
general assembly what proportion Of the ex.
pense should be borne by the state. and what
towns or cities should bear the balance Of the
expense. and what proportion OF said balance
will be chargeable to each town or city under
the provisions Of this act.
SEC 5. II 1t shall appear from said report of
said state commissioner that any claims for
damages may arise in consequence Of the pro-
posed change Of either width. location or grade
Of such highway, no expenditures shall be
made upon such highway under this act until
such claims for damages shall have been dis.
posed Of by the respective towns or cities in
the manner provided by law In the case Of
laying out highway.
6BC. 9. When the general assembly shall
way commissioner and shall have provided
what proportion of the expense Of the propos-
ed work shall be borne by the towns and cities
In which such work Is to be done, and what
proportion shall be borne by the state and
shall have authorized the construction of such
work under the provisions Of this act, said
commissioner shall, as soon a. may be there
after, cause said highway to be built by con-
tract, according to plans and specifications to
besprcpared by him and conforming ms nearly
as may DO to the plans which formed the basis
of his report TO said town councils and boards
of aldermen and to the general assembly un.
der the provisions OF this act but it shall be
lawful for said state commissioner to make
any changes in said plans and in the grades,
materials OF construction and quality of work,
or in any OF them, which may be necessary in
his judgment TO produce better results, pro-
vidcd that such changes shall not cause an es-
timated increase OF expense i'm excess OF ten
per centum of tho estimates of expense there.
for by him reported To said town councils and
boards OF aldermen, and to the general assem-.
bly, as herein provided.
SEC T. The expense OF any improvement
made under the foregoing provisions of this
act shall be paid in tho first instance by the
state, and shall be ultimately borne by tho
state, on the one part, and by all the towns
and cities included under tho provisions of
the foregoing sections on the other part in
such proportions as tho general assembly shall
have prescribed In their authorization to said
state commissioner In pursuance Of the pro.
visions OF this act.
SEC. 4. Upon the completion Of any highway
rebuilt under the provisions OF the foregoing
sections Of this act. said state commissioner
shall ascertain the total expense OF rebuilding
the same. exclusive OF expense arising from
change Of location or grade, and damages re-
sulting therofrom, and shall apporton the
same In the manner provided In section seven
OF this act: shall apportion tho proportion
thereof prescribed I'm manner aforesaid To
bo borne by the towns and cities referred To
In said section seven 10 and among tho Same
several towns or cities In the same proper.