The record-union., 1897-02-22
THE HIGHWAY SYSTEM.
How State and County Are to Work
Together
Under the Bills Now in for Con-
struCtion and Maintenance of
State Highways.

Following is a very full synopsis of
Assembly bills 905, 904 and 9O3 for
construction and maintenance of State
highways. These bills are as agreed
upon and introduced by the Commit
tee on Roads and Highways on the
18th inst and just at hand from the
Printer
A. B. 800 provides for a general tax of
one quarter of a mill on the dollar to
be used for construction and mainten-
ance of State highways. The money
thus raised is to be placed in the State
highway fund. All claims against it
must be audited by Department of
Highways and approved by the State
Board of Examiners.
A. B. 904 provides for the clasSifica
ton of the roads in the State. The
first class to include all highways des-
ignated as State highways; the sec
orId class to include all highways des-
1gnated as county roads; the third
class to include all highways desig-
mated as district roads.
State highways shall be such as have
been so declared by an Act of the Leg
tslature or established in the man
ner hereafter provided by law or the
provisions of this Act
State highways shall be located set
apart, and established by the Depart
ment of Highways within nine months
after the passage of this Act, as fol-
lows:
Whenever a Board of Supervisors
shall deem it advisable to have de-
clared as State highway or high
ways any road or roads, or portion
thereof, lying within the limits of such
county and outside of the limits of an
incorporated town, city, or city and
county, said board shall petition the
department of highways to so set
apart and declare such road, or roads,
or portion thereof setting forth the
fact that said road or roads, or por
ton thereof, is an essential part of a
general system which will connect,
along the best grades and alignments,
counties, county seats, centers of
population, points of shipment, points
on navigable waters, and mining and
agricultural centers, with each other,
by means of a continuous and con-
neCted system of State highways.
Upon the receipt of said petitidp by
the department of highways, it shall,
as soon as practicable, notify said
Board of Supervisors that one or more
of the Highway Commissioners will
meet with said board for the purpose
Of examining into the desirabilHy of
setting apart and declaring the road,
or roads, or any portion thereof, which
may have been petitioned for as State
highway or highways.
1t shall then be the duty of the Su
pervisors to meet with a Commissioner
or Commissioners of the department
of highways, and they shall Jointly ex-
anime into the matters petitioned for,
and shall make any Investigations rela-
tive thereto which they shall deem nee
essary. Should the department ap-
prove of the granting of said petition,
the road, or roads, or any portion
thereof petitioned for, shall be de-
clared a State highway or highways,
and said department shall proceed to
definitely locate the same and shall au-
authorize the construction of the same,
as rapidly as the funds provided there
for by law shall become available.
In case the department and the board
shall fail to reach an agreement OF de-
cisiOn, then they shall jointly select
a County Surveyor or a civil engineer
engaged in the active practice of his
profession to act as an arbitrator. but
in no case shall said County Surveyor
or civil engineer be in any manner
whatsoever interested in said highway
or highways petitioned for or a resi-
dent of the county in which the pro-
posed highway, or highways, or por-
tions thereof, may be situated.
1t shall be the duty of said arbitra-
tor to determine the questions at is
sue, and upon reaching conclusion
ne shall notify the department of
highways and the Board of Supervis-
ors. In all cases an arbitrator's decis-
ION shall be final. 1t shall then be the
duty of the department of highways to
take such action as will be necessary
to put in effect the decision reached.
Should the department Of highways
deem IL advisable to have declared as
a State highway, or highways, any
road. or roads, or portion thereof, ly-
ing within the limits Of any county of
the State, and outside the limits of an
incorporated town, city, or city and
county, said department of highways
shall notify the board or Boards of
Supervisors of the county or counties
in which said road, roads, or portions
thereof, may lie, and shall fix a time
and place within said county, or coun-
ties. when joint proceedings may be
had concerning the same; and further
action shall be taken as provided for in
this Act when the Boards OF Supervis-
ors are the prime movers.
The roads of the second class, or
county roads, shall be the most i'm
portant roads in each county not in
cluded in the first class, as are now.
or shall hereafter be, set apart and so
declared by the Boards of Supervis-