Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-01-16
rinkering With the Ditch Law

The following, relating to the
ditch law, has been introduced in the
legislature by Mr.. Glen Dening of
Mercer county. Mr.. Connolly, our
Representative, requests its publica-
tion, and he also asks that the farm
ers give him their opinions of the
law, by addressing him at Columbus.
The new law reads:
SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of
Ohio, that the following sections be
enacted as supplementary to section
4447, Revised Statutes of Ohio. Sec
tion 4447a. In all counties in this
State, where county bitches have
been, or may be constructed under
provision of this chapter, the county
commissioners are hereby constituted
board of County Ditch Directors,
in which the management and con-
troll of all such bitches shall be ex-
clusively vested. Whenever the
Board of County Ditch Directors
deem it necessary, the County Com
missioners may annually at their
June session, levy upon the taxable
property of the county such sum, not
exceeding one mill on the dollar in
any one year, the receipts thereof to
constitute Ditch Repair Fund obe
paid out only on the order of the
County Auditor, issued upon the
certificate of the Board of County
Ditch Directors, properly attested by
the Clerk of the Board.
SEC. @ When such levy shall have
been deemed necessary and made at
the June session as aforesaid, the
shall thereafter at their September
session divide the county into three
districts, as nearly equal in number
of miles of county ditch constructed,
as may be practicable; and may ap-
point suitable persons as superin-
! tendents of fixed number of miles
of county bitches, to hold their Office
for one year, or at the pleasure of
the Board of County Ditch Direc-
tors; they shall be required to give
bond to the satisfaction of the Coun-
ty Commissioners for the faithful
performance of their duties and take
and subscribe an oath, which shall
be endorsed on the back of the bond,
and the same shall be filed in the Of
fee of the County Auditor, and by
that officer recorded. The Auditor
of the county shall serve as the
Clerk of the Board, and record their
proceeding in book to be provided
for such purpose by the County Com
missioners.
! SEC. 1t shall be the duty of such
superintendents to visit. the lines
of Ditch under their control, at rea-
sonable intervals, or when notified
by land owners. They shall at once
remove any and all distractions to
the free passage of water in such
bitches, and if the work be beyond
their power they shall employ the
labor necessary, at the customary
rate of wages, and when the said OBJ
structions are within the lines of pri-
vate land, they shall offer said labor
to the owner of the land; if he refuses
or declines the work, then the su-
perintendent may employ outside
labor, and such laborers with their
necessary tools and teams shall have
free access to the lands of said owner
to the point of work. All orders for
labor and other services will be
issued by the superintendent on the
Board of County Ditch Directors, to
be by them paid. !.
| SEC. 4. Each superintendent shall
receive for his services under the pre-
ceding sections, one dollar and fifty
cents per day for the time actually
employed in the care of said bitches,
and no more, which shall be paid
out of the funds thereby created.
SEC. 5. Each Ditch Superintend-
ent shall, at the regular meeting OF
the County Commissioners in March
and September of each year. render
an account to them, as the Board Of
County Ditch Directars, of all the
moneys drawn from the County
Treasury, how expended, to whom
paid, together with detailed state
ment of his transactions, which re
port must be sworn to by the super
! intendent.
SEC. 6. This act shall take effect
and be in force from and after its
passage.