Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1902-07-25
p!oA |;
IMPROVEMENT.
MORE AID FOR ROADS.
New York Has Just Passed a Law
Which Should Be Studied by
Legislators Everywhere.

LeS1slatOrs Everywhere.
Gov. Odell has signed a measure
passed by the legislature that is cal
culated to aid very materially in the
work of road repairing throughout
the state. 1t is an amendment to the
highway law that made possible the
substitution of the money system for
that of days labor in the repairing of
the public highways, and the bill that
has now become a law provides for
doubling the state aid toward such
work.
Employment of the money system
Of road improvement has met with
very general favor by the people
throughout the state. The provisions
of the law are of such moment as to
warrant more than summary notice.
1t is provided that's
"Any town voting in favor of the
money system shall annually raise by
tax, to be levied and collected the same
as other town taxes, for the repair of
y Us
which shall be equal to at least one
half the value at the communicative
rates of the highway labor which
should be assessed under the labor sys-
tenn, but in any town in which there
may be an incorporated village which
forms a separate road district, and
wherein the roads and streets are
maintained 1t the expense of such vii
lage, all p, perry within such village
shall be ex'-. pit from the levy and col
lection of such tax for the repair Of
highways of such town, and the as
SCISSORS of the town are hereby re-
Quired to indicate on the assessment
roll the property included in such in
corporated village In column separ-
ate from that containing a list of the
property In the town not included In
such village, and shall also place on
the assessment roll the names of all
persons liable to pay tax who are not
residents Of such village, and the
board of supervisors are directed to
levy tax of 81 on each person liable
to poll tax as thus Indicated; but this
tax shall not apply to assessments
made for damages and charged for
laying out or altering any road or for
erecting or repairing any bridge in
such town. The amount of such tax
shall be determined by the commits
sioners of highways and the town
board, who shall certify the same to
the board of supervisors, the same as
any other town charge. The clerk of
the board of supervisors Of each coun-
ty containing town which has voted
for the money system shall on or be-
fore the first day Of January of each
year transmit to the state controller
a statement certified by him and
signed and verified by the chairman Of
such board. stating the name of each
town so voting. and the amount of
money tax levied therein for the re-
pair of highways during the preced-
Ing year. The controller shall draw
his warrant upon the state treasurer
in favor of the treasurer Of the county
IN which such town is situated, for an
amount equal to so per cent. of the
amount SO levied In each town. The
county treasurer shall pay out the
amount so paid to him on account of
the money tax levied in any such town
upon the order of the highway com
thereof, to be used by him
for the repair and permanent improve
ment of such highways therein. and in
such manner as the commissioner of
and town board may deter
mine. The sum paid by the state to
any town by virtue Of this section shall
not exceed IN any one year one-tenth
of the per cent of the taxable prop
erty of such town"
The particular change made Is the
increase in state aid from rs to so Der
cent. But the general purpose Of the
law Is to insure the making of road
and repairing under the
supervision of a competent and skilled
official. Under the old system of work
ing out the road tax our farmers were
apt to do the work at their own con-
venience. The times they selected
were not always the best times for
such work and the systems pursued
were seldom the same and rarely ap-
piled according to effective and accept |
ed plans Of road making.
The money system insures the work |
being done in a uniform way, at the |
proper time of the year and according
to the most modern methods of road |
Furthermore, the farm
ers who SO desire may receive employ
nent on the work at fair wage, IN
Ter proper supervision and direction.
The system was made optional, and
while 1t was heartily indorsed in many
sections of the state before the dou-
bling of state aid as provided in this
new law, It should now be universally
adopted since such a course will be
when the extensive plans
or our road improvement are carried
Saratogian.