Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1903-05-07

uponS the passage, of the act State
Highway department shaifAbe establish
ed which shall include State highway
commissioner and assistants. with head
quarters at Harrisburg. Whenever the
county commissioners of any county
outside of the cities or boroughs shall
petition to the Highway department the
highway commissioner will investigate
the condition of roads in the territory
concerned. and If he thinks work should
be undertaken he will have plans pre-
pared, which he will report to the coun-
ty commissioners and road supervisors
Of the place where the work is proposed
If the local authorities and the com
missioner conclude that the work ls 'ad-
visable the State will contract Jointly
with the county and township to make
! or improve the road in question, Two
| thirds of the cost of. the Improvement
will be borne by the State and the bai-
ance by the county and township, eacn
paying half of the balance. Roads made
uritier this plan shall conform to the
| standard established by the State De-
] partment of Highways, and must be
| constructed according to the best
| engineering practice All work shall be
done by contract, according to plans
| prepared at Harrisburg, and approved
by the county and township authorities
| A township may bid for the construc-
| ton of the road if it desires, in which
| case it must be prepared to do the work
| according TO the specifications. IL Is
| anna rent that a cash road tax Will be
| required in those townships where good
roads are to be built. su l -4.. lvta
| Contracts are to be made in the name
| of the Commonwealth, and to be ap-
proved by the Attorney General. NO
work will be commenced until the
comfy and township authorities agree
! in writing to pay the proportlonate
share of the county and township in the
work. Should townships desire to i'm
rroye their roads under this act they
NAV have their supervisors petition the
county commissioners, whereupon the
| commissioners may petition the State
department, accompanying the petition
| with maps and plans of the road to be
| improved, and telling what material is
available for use in making the I'M
movements. Townships may issue
bonds to pay Tor the improvement A
majority of the real estate valuations OF
| the township is sufficient when repre-
sented in petition against an improve
1 m6nt TO SUOp any dCtlOH- AC Wv
of the majority of the real estate OF the
township may petition the supervisors
to begin the WORK of road Improvement,
which petition shall be acted upon by
further petition to the authorities of the
county, who in turn will petition the
| State.
Should the county commissioners re-
fuse to act on the petition from the
| township the township may appeal to
the court, whereupon viewers will be
appointed to determine the need of the
Improvement If they report favorably
the court may require the county to
proceed to enlist the aid of the State in
making the road. For the maintenance
of roads made by State help fund is
to- be set aside from the State appro-
priation for repairs Where road
through borough is a part of main
line of travel which is improved by the
State it is permissible for the county to
enter into an agreement with the
borough to improve the road in the
borough. The State may also help IN
work
From this it will be seen that the
work of making good roads is in the
hands of the people of the townships
and counties and that they may begin
when they see tit.