The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1897-05-19
THE NEW ROAD LAW.

Commissioner aud for the better aud
more effective working of the public
roads.
SECTION l. he il enacted by the
LEGISLATURE of the State OF Mississippi,
That the Boards of Supervisors of the
various counties of the State of Mis-
sissippi shall, at the regular May term,
after the passage of this act, classify
the public roads in their respective
counties as roads of the first and sec
ond class. The main thoroughfares
leading to the principal markets to be
roads of the first class, all other pub
lie roads as roads of the second class,
and they shall appoint suitable and
competent person to be known as road
commissioner, and to fix his compensa-
tion at a sum not to exceed seventy
five dollars month, whose duties
shall be as herein provided.
SECTION 2. The road commissioner
shall have general supervision and
management of all public roads in his
county and shall make plans and spec
ifications of all bridges and superin-
tend the erection of same. He shall,
Immediately after his appointment, ex-
anime the list of hands assigned to all
the overseers in his county and the
links of road they are required to work
aud see that all laborers subject to road
duty ara listed. and report to the next
term of the Supervisors court such
changing or re-listing of hands as he
may deem just aud equitable in view
of the work to be done on their links
of road. He shall exrmine and report
the quantity and character of tools in
possession of the road hands available
for effective work on the roads and
make requisition upon the Boards Of
Supervisors for such additional tools,
road scrapers, plows or grading ma
chimes as he may deem necessary to
the most economical and effective
working of the public roads, and to
supply the overseers with such addi-
tiOnal tools as may be necessary, TAX
ing their receipt for the same, but they
shall be subject at all times to the
order of the road commissioner.
SECTION 3. All the overseers with
the labor assigned them shall be un-
der the direction and supervision OF
the road commissioner, and shall work
their respective links of road at such
time and place and with such teams
and tools as he may direct; provided
that not more work shall be required
during the cultivation and gathering
of the crops than may be necessary to
keep the roads in passable condition.
SECTION 4. The road commissioner
shall. during the months of July and
August, next, after the passage of this
act, and thereafter in the months Of
January and February, or July and
August, require all the overseers in
their respective counties, with the Ia
Dor, tools and teams assigned them, to
do the full humber of days work re-
quired of them by law on their re-
spective links of road, regulating the
times of work so as to secure the great
est use of sCch tools, scrapers or road
machines as may be furnished by the
county.
SECTION ). Overseers Of second
class roads shall work their respective
links of road as thoroughly as can be
done with the labor assigned. them,
working the entire time required by
law, save one day, for each labOrer,
which shall be held in reserve for such
incidental repairs as may become nec-
essary during the remainder OF the
year.
SECTION 6. Overseers of first-class
roads shall assemble with their labor
ers upon their respective links of road
at such time and place, and with such
teams and tools as the road commits
sioner may direct and proceed to grade,
ditch and level their roads, and 20
erect bridges or culverts according to
plans and specifications furnished by
the road commissioner, until they have
worked the entire time required by
law in one year, provided that the road
commissioner may require such tenn
porary repairs as may be necessary be-
tween the unfinished links of road.
SECTION I. When all the labor re-
quired by law to be done on the pub
lie roads in one year shall have been
done the road commissioner shall
make a written report to the Board Of
Supervisors of all the work done, and
the condition of the roads and bridges,
and make an estimate of the amount
of money necessary to complete the
unfinished links of all first-class roads,
if there be more than one, estimating
each separately.
SECTION 8. On hearing the report of
the road commissioner the Board Of
Supervisors may determine whether
they will complete the unfinished
links of all first class roads by contract,
as provided in section 1929 of the An
notated code, or by the labor of con-
victs as provided in section 1892 of the
Annotated Code, or by hired labor un-
der the direction and control Of the
road commissioner, who shall make an
it temized statement of all expenses in
CURED, which shall be paid by warrant
upon the county treasurer, payable out
of any county funds not otherwise ap-
propriated. But should there be no
such funds available, payment to be
provided by taxation as provided in
section 1891 of the Annotated Code.
Teams necessary to the prosecution of
the work may be purchased or hired as
the Board of Supervisors may deem
best.
SECTION 9. When all the roads of
the first class shall have been CON-
this Act, they shall be kept in repair
public roads, and by the Communication
of labor and fines and forfeitures re-
sulting from failure to perform road
anu Jlc VI ouPcINlSOIS
may in their discretion, dispense with
the services of road commissioner.
SECTION 10. The road commissioner
may at any time be fined or removed
from office by the Board of Supervis-
ors for negligence. incompetence, or
failure to faithfully perform the du,
ties of his office, and they shall at
once appoint suitable man to take
his place, and retiring commissioner
shall turn over to his successor all
money, tools, or other property belong
ing to the county.
SECTION IL. The road commissioner
shall be custodian of all teams, tools
or other like property of the county,
and provide for the safe-keepiug of the
same; he shall receipt for labor COM
and report to the grand jury at every
term of the circuit court the condition
of the public roads aud any dereliction