The record-union., 1898-09-27
STATE GOOD ROAD SYSTEM.
OUTLINE OF THE HIGHWAY
COMMISSIONS PLAN.
Wants Half of All Road Moneys
Set Aside for Perma-
1ent Work.

Highway Commissioners Price and
Ashe have returned from a tour or the
State made in the interest OF good
roads. The last stop they made was
at Marysville, where on Saturday even
ing last Commissioner Price delivered
lecture before a large audience, taking
for his subject, Good Roads in Cah-
fornia''
Commissioner Price was seen by
Record Union reporter yesterday, IN
reference to the recommendations
which the Highway Commissioners
propose making to the Legislature when
1t meets in January. Mr.. Price out
lined proposed amendment to the ex-
listing road laws, the passage of Whlch
will be urged and gave a synopsis OF a
new law which they will ask to have
spread upon the statute books.
The proposed amendment to existing
laws will provide that one-half of all
moneys collected for road improve
ments in the several counties be placed
in a separate fund to be expended on
roads indicated as State highways, as
follows:
First-For the laying out, grading
and draining of roads.
Second-For the construction Of SUBJ
structures and for the purchase of all
necessary machinery for road work, and
for payment for such work.
Third-For the establishment Of COM
plete sprinkling plants.
Provision will also be made that
when such roads shall have been prop
erly laid out, graded, drained and solid
ified by sprinkling, the money in the
fund shall be used to either gravel or
macadamiZe them, as circums stances
may permit, and that such fund may
be drawn on for the building of bridges
or other permanent work, provided the
same shall have been approved by the
State Highway Commissioners.
Expenditures may, under the pro-
posed amendment to the law, be made
by a majority vote of any Board of
Supervisors who shall award con-
tracts for such work to the lowest
bidder, on plans and specifications
drawn by the County Surveyor and ap-
proved by the State Board of Highway
Commissioners. If, in the opinion OF
the Board of Supervisors, such bid or
bids be too high, they may reject them
and authorize the County Surveyor to
proceed with such work.
The commission win recommend to
the Legislature that the remaining one
half of the funds raised for road pur-
poses shall be expended as at the pres
ent time, in order that side roads or
intersections to main or proposed State
roads may be kept in good condition
The proposed new law which the
Highway Commissioners will urge the
Legislature to pass will be to the ef-
feet that any county, on completing
five miles of road in accordance with
the proposed amendment and on lines
designated as state highways, the
same shall, on petition TO the Hlgh-
way Commission, and with the approval
of the Governor, be accepted by the
State as a State highway, and main
tanned as such.
Commissioner Price quotes statistics
to show that there is raised annually
by the counties in the State nearly
81, Co., 600 for road purposes, and that
under the proposed amendment, and
without increasing the present tax,
from S750,000 to S1,0O0,00O would be
put into permanent improvements an
nuaIly. and that in the course of a few
years every county in the State would
have many miles of excellent road
which would be maintained by the
State with absolutely no expense 10 tIIe
counties through which they extend.
Mr. Price said that many of the coun-
ties in the State do not levy one-haif
the amount for road purposes which,
under the general State law, they are
empowered to raise so that by levying
the entire amount they would have the
same amount in their funds for tenn
porary improvements, and would also
build their quotas Of modern, improved
highways. He also called attention
TO the fact that under the present State
Jaw counties may, if necessary, levy
an extra assessment for road purposes
of two cents on each 800, which would,
without any material increase in taxes,
give extra funds for both permanent
and temporary improvements.
The Highway Commissioners propose
laying the above mentioned plan before
the Good Roads League, the wheelmen,
and all other organizations interested
in the advancement of the good roads
movement in the State. They believe
the plan will solve the question of Sc
curing model highways from one end
of the State to the other, and without
much additional cost to the taxpayers.