The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-11-29

| IN strated in no uncertain way
by the number of petitions
for road improvements which have
been presented since the passage of
the Highblc-Armstrong law. These
| petitions were from all parts of the
State, and speedily showed that the
appropriation of $4,000 for State aid
would not meet half the demand
| In the law are incorporated the
most desirable features of the State
aid laws of other States, while the
obiectional ones have been eliminated.
The following notes of explanation
are by William w. Armstrong, who
| introduced and helped TO secure the
passage of the law.
The Ilighbic Armstrong Good Roads
bill is the result of several years of
hard work and earnest discussion, and
| from year to year has been altered
| and modified to meet criticism and op.
| position. On account of the changes
| so made from time to time there
| seems TO be some confusion about the
| provisions of the act which was finally
| approved. An intelligent considera-
tion Of the subject, therefore, requires
at the outset n brief statement of the
| provisions of the law.
The net provides that any board of
supervisors "may" adopt resolution
| declaring that public interest demands
the Improvement of certain piece of
| highway not located in city or viii
| lage, and that upon q petition of the
| owners of majority of the lineal
| feet fronting upon such a highway IL
must adopt such Il resolution.
a copy Of this resolution is then to
be transmitted to the State Engineer,
who shall first determine whether the
| piece of highway indicated is of suf.
| fcient public importance to receive
| State aid; if so, he shall map the high.
| way, cause plans and specifications
| for the Improvement ana an estimate
| of the cost to be made, and transmit
| copies thereof to the Board of Super.
| Visors. The Board Of Supervisors,
| with these facts and figures before
them. may" then adopt second reso-
luton, declaring that such highway
shall he improved, or it may refuse
to go any further with the matter IL
! ii so chooses.
| This plan was adopted after most
| careful consideration, so as to preserve
| the principle of home rule to the coun.
| ties of the State; so that no county
could be compelled, if unwilling, to
| improve any portion of its highway;
and so that no county should be per
mitted to do so until it had all the
| facts and figures before it..
If county, therefore, desires merely
TO know how much it will cost to i'm.
| prove certain piece of highway, 1t
| need only adopt the first resolution
and get the plans and estimate the
| cost, free of charge, without going any
| further If it chooses, after ascer-
tanning the cost to adopt the second
resolution. it may, but it cannot be
compelled 10 do so.
| If, however. the Board of Supervis.
/ ors adopts the second resolution, it
must transmit copy of it to the State
Engineer, who then advertises for bids
| for the work. If no responsible bid
is made within his estimate, he must
make new estimate and transmit 1t
to the Board of Supervisors; and IL
the Board of Supervisors then adopts
II new resolution based upon the new
estimate, declaring that nevertheless
such highway shall De improved, the
State Engineer must advertise for bids
| as before.
When Il responsible bid within his
estimate Is made the State Engineer
awards the contract; but If the town
| or county desires to do the work itself
1t has the preference over all bidders.
This provision enables localities hay.
ing scrapers and other appliances for
improving their roads to utilize them
i'll doing their own work under this
act, and so keep all the money expend-
ed at home.
Each Board of Supervisors has, un.
der the general highway law, the pow.
er to elect a County Engineer. II it
mas elected such an officer the State
engineer must act through him. If it
las not he must supervise the per-
formance of the contract himself.
When the work is completed he must
draw warrant upon the State Treas
urer for one-half the cost of the work
ana certify the other half to the Board
OF Supervisors, which must levy thir
ty-iiye per cent. of the whole cost of
the work upon the county. The other
hiteen per cent. is payable in one of
TWO ways, namely: If the Board of
Supervisors adopted the first resolu
ton for the Improvement without n
petition from the adjoining owners, tho
Board of Supervisors must levy the
hfteen per cent. upon the town in
which the improved highway is; but If
the first resolution was adopted after
such petition, the Board of Super
visors must cause the Town Assessors
to levy the fifteen per cent upon the
property owners on the improved high.
way.
Such, in brief, is the plan which has
finally been approved by the Legsla.
ture for affording aid in the improve
ment of rural highways.-New York
Journal.
Value of Good Roads.
1t has been figured out In New Jer.
sey that land values tend to rise