The Monticellonian., 1899-05-05
NEW ROAD LAW.
Measrre Passed by the Last Legislature D Provide Revenue for Building
 Roads and Bridges.

Roads and Bridges.
 House bill No. 996, an act to provide for levying a road tax, etc, passed both branches of the general assembly and is now law. It was introduced by Mir Cotton, of Franklin. As the law is of general interest, it is given below; The county court, together with a majority Of the justices Of peace in any county, when majority of the qualified electors Of such coun- ty shall vote public road tax at the general election, shall, at the time of making the levy of taxes for roads, bridges and other county purposes, appoint a road commissioner, who shall not receive more than g per day for the time actually engaged in the discharge of his 1uties, to be paid out of the county treasury, 70 the credit Of the road district.
 The county court shall divide the county into as many road districts deemed most Gdvan- tageous for the purposes Of this act, the boun- daries to remain established unless the said county court, together with majority of the justices of the peace in attendance upon Any regular October term Of said county court, shall change the same.
 The commissioner shall be appointed for a term of one year, and shall give boud in the sum Of $500, to be approved by the county court, tor the faithful discharge of his duties. The county court shall have the power to bpeh new roads, make such changes in old 1 roads as deemed necessary, and classify the roads and bridges for the purposes of this act, and when any change shall be made or any new road opened, the same shall be located on sec- tion lines as nearly possible, with cgHven- fence to public travel, and all first-class roads hereafter established shall be not less than 30 feet wide; at each term thereof. the county court shall examine and approve or reject the reports of the road commissioner and the var lous overseers, which reports, together with all proceedings relating to roads, shall be spread upon the county court record. The county court may, at the regular term for making ap- propriatiOnS and levytng taxes for the ensuing year, appropriate and levy not to exceed three mills on the dollar as road and bridge tax, on all of the taxable property Of the county, the collector to receive in payment Of said tax United States currency or county warrants legally drawn on said road tax fund; provided, collectors shall keep such road and bridge taxes collected on the property Of each Of the various road districts separate; and shall pay the same into the county treasury and take receipt for the some much paid to the credit Of such road districts on account of roads and bridges; and If such taxes be not paid as provided, such property shall be sold In same manner as for non-papment of other axes.
 When a road tax shall have been voted by the electors Of any county, in addition thereto, each person in said county subject to road duty under the present law, shall be subject to four days work on said roads and bridges provided. each person may pay 75 cents for each day he Is warned to work, to be collected IS other taxes are collected; provided further that each taxpayer shall be allowed to work out his tax at 75 cents per day, said oyerseer to give his receipt showing the amount and time said per son worked which receipt shall be accepted by the tar collector in payment of the taxes of sad psrson in any amount not to exceed the sotal amount of his road tax
 The county treasurer shall keep separate account with each road district and present to the county court annually statement oi all moneys received from each district and the amounts disbursed. County clerks shall keep B separate account with each district, by num- bers, Of all matters pertaining to sad districts required to be of record.
 All public roads and highways running most centrally through the county. and most used by the public, shall be designated as frst-efass roads, and all others as seeoad-eiass roads, those Of the trst-class to be worked first, and those Of the second class as the court may order bridges of the frst-elass to be built and repaired by the county, as provided in chapter IT, Sandels X HiIl's digest; bridges of the sec- ond class to be built and repaired by the road commissioner and road hands Of the district in which the bridge is situated to be built un- der direction Of the county court The cost to be paid out Of the fund in the county treasury to the said district; provided. the court may, in its discretion, let the building Of second class bridges out on contract to the lowest btd- der. the bridge when completed to be exam ined by the commissioner and approved if con structed according to plans and specifications notice giving said plans and specifications, and location Of said bridge, to be published in the county for 30 days. Bridges Of the third class shall be built and repaired under direction of the road commissioner the cost to be paid out of the fund the credit Of the district in which such bridge is located
 It shall be the duty of the road commissioner to examine all first and second class roads and