The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1902-09-06
COURT AND SUPERVISORS
They Discussed Road Plans and Meth
ods-Their Meeting Thursday.


County road supervisors and the
commissioners and judge held a
pow-wow Thursday afternoon in
the court room. The meeting was
called month ago, and it had for
its purpose the perfecting of an
understanding between court and
supervisors and more thorough
organization of the road working
system of the county. Of the Io
supervisors, all were present but
five, the absent ones being detained
in nearly every case by threshing
operations. Letters were received
from several, explaining their abb
sence and regretting their inability
to attend.
The session lasted for two Or
three hours. The supervisors ask
ed questions, made suggestions and
compared notes with judge and
commissioners. Some of the su-
pervisors were new men, and had
no understanding of their duties.
Full instructions were given them,
and the policy of the court for a
permanent and thorough road i'm
provement was made clear. In
structions were given all the su-
pervjsors, wherever possible in the
repair work, to substitute fills for
culverts, using tile if possible, for
drainage, so that eventually cul-
verts that soon decay or get out of
repair might be eliminated entirely.
The question of uniform pay for
road work in all the districts was
discussed at length, but no con-
c1usion was reached.
Each supervisor was instructed
to make an inventory of each
bridge in his district, to describe
its location, its dimensions, and the
date wherever. possible of its con-
struction, together with a state
ment of its condition. From this
data, record of all the bridges of
the county is to be kept at the
court house, where by reference the
court mayknow at any time what
bridges to look out for. Of all
thesupervisors present, only one was
able to to tell the number and To-
cation of the bridges in this dis
trict.
During the proceedings, it was
made clear to each supervisor that
he would be held responsible for
any bridge accidents that might
occur in his district. If a bridge
was discovered to be faulty, a. re-
port should be made to the court
and thereafter responsibility would
rest with the latter, but until such
a report was made the supervisor
must assume the risk. Under this
rule a careful surveillance of all the
bridges may be expected.
In the past the court has been
without information in the matter
of paying the claims of the super
visors. To put the matter on
business basis, supervisors are in
structed to present bills quarterly.
The bills thus presented are to be
published so that the residents of
district may see it. The bills then
to lie over month, and if no OBJ
lection is made to it, the bill will
be paid as presented. The ar
rangement met with the approval
of all supervisors present.
Each supervisor was instructed
to make a list of all implements
and material On hand and, to file
the same with the court. In ans
wer to inquiries, it was the unan-
imous sentiment of the supervisors
that in future road levies, the poll
tax be levied in cash instead of in
work as formerly, and it is probable |
that the, latter rule will be followed |
hereafter.
The meeting was interesting to
all concerned and was undoubtedly |
very profitable. 1t will have the
effect to establish a perfect Horganf
ization and uniform system Of !
road operations. 1t is understood
that similar meeting of supervis-
ors will be called before road work
IS renewed next spring.
The supervisors present were,
6 L Stoneback, 7 J Cooper. Louis
Wentz, E A Blake, S Miller, A
cadwalader, WI Reed, J R Feb
er, Monroe Chi1ders, E N Starr,
and J R Crow: those absent were,
Frank McGee, w M Clark, - G G
Peek, Albert Ziero1f, Doke Gray
and G E Banton. =
EJJ,so ~ Dor41opd