The leader., 1897-08-25
PUBLIC ROADS

a better understanding of the public
road question, which has been so much
discussed OF late, The LEADER consid-
ers 1t timely to publish what follows;
THE OLD ROAD LAW
of the Code, long in force, makes every
able bodied person, with few special
exemptions, between the ages of Is and
so, subject to road duty. and liable to
work on the public roads 10 days of ev-
cry year, or longer, If the condition of
the roads require. Overseers are ap-
pointed to summon hands and direct
the working of the roads, without pay,
and are liable to indictment by the
grand jury and to be fined for neglect
or performance of duty. Each
hand liable to road duty is given the
option of performing the work requir-
ed of him, or paying in lieu thereof 50
communication money Sc if he waits
until summoned by the overseer but
failure to either work or pay, subjects
him to fine of 81 per day for each day
he fails or refuses to work, If reported
by the overseer, whose duty it is made
to report all delinquents to a justice
of the peace, to be dealt with as the
law directs.
Section 1929 of the Annotated Code
of 1892 authorizes the Board of Super
visors of the several counties to let
out all or any portion of the public
roads to be worked by contract, and
section 1890 of the Code clothes con-
tractor with the same authority to
summon road hands and require them
to work or pay the communication mon
ey as if he were road overseer. Sec
ton 1891 authorizes the Board of Su-
pervisors to levy tax, not to exceed
mill on the dollar, on all taxable
property OF the county, for road pur-
poses.
THE NEW ROAD LAW,
which was approved April %, 1897,
leaves it optional with the Board of Su-
pervisors of the several counties to
continue under the operations of the
old law, or to adopt all, or such por-
tions of the new law as, in their discre-
ton, is deemed advisable. 1t contem-
plates that the public roads may be
classified and worked according to the
old system under the direction and su-
pervision of county road commits
81 l,,k, - So,
the overseers, or be let out and worked
by contract, as provided in section
2939 of the Code.
At their May meeting, the Board of
Supervisors of Lincoln county adopted
that part of section one of the new law
which empowers Boards of Supervis-
ors to 'classify the public roads of
their respective counties as roads of
the first and second class; the main
thoroughfares leading to the principal
markets to be of the first-class all
other public roads as roads of the sec
ond- class" At the same meeting the
board also adopted sections l. and IA
of the new law in their entirety, which
are nov part of the road law for this
county, and are as follows;
Section H. All roads of the first
class shall be opened and worked not
less than 16 feet wide or over 40 feet
between bitches. All branches or
creek bottoms crossed by the road
shall be raised by earth taken from the
sides of the road so as to form drain
bitches. The crown of the levees shall
not be less than 16 feet wide, raised in
the center. The slope of the levees
shall be ID to one foot in height,
with suitable openings to admit the
free passage of water. The entire
roadway shall be raised in the center,
with drain bitches on each side. The
grade shall be as low as practicable,
not more than l foot in 10 feet lineal
Board of Supervisors shall fix the grade.
Section IA. If the Board of Super
visors of any county shall determine
to work the public roads or any part
thereof by contract, all the road hands
subject to such duty upon such roads
shall report to the contractor before
the first of September of any year and
perform the full amount of labor re-
quired of them by law in one year I'M
der the direction of the contractor on
such roads should any road hand fail
to report himself and perform such Ia
Dor to the satisfaction of the contract
or he shall be proceeded against by the
Board of Commissioners as provided
in section 1918, of the Annotated Code
of Mississippi; provided that any such
road hand may commute his time up
| on tho nnhlin rood fOr Lt-
paying the road commissioner three
dollars in lieu of work, and the road
commissioner shall meke report to the
Board of Supervisors all commute
tons, fines or forfeitures collected by
him. and also the number of days
work performed by any road hand on
any contract, and the contractor shall
be charged with such labor at an
amount agreed upon at the time of let
ting the contract, and all moneys re-
ported shall be paid into the county
road fund.
The specifications adopted by the
board for the second class roads re
quire that they shall not be less than
II feet wide nor more than 16 feet be-
tween bitches, clear of roots and
stumps, 4-inch elevation in the CEN
ire and wooden culverts where needed.
| Having advertised for sealed bids, at
the July meeting the board let out
two of the first-class roads. At the
August meeting the bid of Williamson,
Hilton & Co., to work all Of the first
class roads Including the two previous
ly lett, for the one mill tax and the Ia
Dor and communication money of the
hands assigned to those roads was &C
cepted, the board having decided to
make the one mill levy for road pur-
poses. All bids for working the sec