Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1896-01-18
Tie t,ood.Roads Bill.

A meeting of the legislative Com
mttee of the Good Roads Association
was held Saturday night at the EX
change Hotel, Richmond, and all but
two members of that committee were
present.
A bill prepared by the association
to be presented to the Legislature
was read in full by Mr.. Anderson,
and subsequently taken up by sec
TONS 1t was carefully considered
and closely scrutinized by the gentle
men present, who all manifested
great interest in the measure
The bill was adopted with some
slight amendments, and has been
presented to the Legislature.
THE BILL.
The bill provides that after July l,
1896. all public roads shall be under
the control of the boards of supervi
sors of the various counties, and the
county engineer, whose position is to
be created by the bill, shall be in
direct charge of all the improvements
to be carried out H shall give a
bond of $4,000, and his compensa-
ton is to be fixed by the boards of
supervisors. AS soon as practical af-
ter the passage Of the bill the Cover
nor is to appoint, with the consent of
the Senate, a highway commissioner
for term of four years, who shall be
in charge of the expenditure of the
State road fund, compile the several
laws, inquire into the Typographical
and geological features of the various
counties, gather statistics, etc. All
necessary information shall be fur
niShed him by the respective State
or county officers free of charge. He
shall give bond Of $4,000, and his
salary shall be So, 800 He shall have
no other business engagements dur
ing his term of Office, but may en-
ploy any assistance necessary An
office shall be provided for him in
the Library or Capitol building. His
salary and expenses are to be paid
out of the State road fund.
Surveys and estimates of cost of
constructing public roads or improv-
ing them shall be made upon the
petition of one third of the AUDITING
property owners, and q map of the
same is TO be forwarded by the coun-
" engineer to the State highway
commissioner. AS soon as three
ffths of the land owners to be bene
fitted make the request and deposit
one tenth of the cost involved, the
board of supervisors shall order the
road to be constructed or improved
out of any available funds. Copies
of maps and descriptions and re
quests of property owners are to be
forwarded with applications for State
aid to the highway commissioner,
and State aid shall be granted in the
order in which applications are filed
and until the State fund is exhaust
ed. Not more than p per cent of
entire State road fund shall be APP
piled to any county within one year,
and balances are to carried over into
the next year.
LOWEST BIDDER.
The roads are to be constructed
under the supervision of the county
engineer, and the contracts for the
work are to be given to the lowest
| bidders The assessment for the
work. when completed. may be paid
by the property owners ut once or in
| five instalments, with per cent. in
terest annually. This work may
also be done upon the application of
the Board of Supervisors, the State
paying % and the county paying IS
per cent. of the expense.
In order to carry out the provis-
ions of this act, an annual road tax
of five cents on 800 of real and per-
sonal property shall be levied, and
the revenue derived from it shall
be kept as State Road Fund.
The county authorities shall also
levy an annual road tax of not less
than five cents on the 500 for the
maintenance of the public roads i'll
their counties. The Board of Super
visors may also borrow money for
such work, and issue bonds, if au-
thorized by the vote OF three fifths of
the residents Of county, of whom a
majority must be freeholders.
The Board of Supervisors of every
county may employ all Migrants and
convicted criminals in the jail upon
the public roads, or hire them out to
other counties for that purpose.
The sum of $4,000, or so much
thereof as may be necessary, is to be
appropriated from the State treasury
to pay the expense of the Office of
Highway Commissioner until the
revenues from the State road tax be
come available, and the amount so
used is subsequently to be returned
to the treasury.