The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-02-10
WAKE ROAD LAW
Provisions Of Bill Soon TO be
introduced.
Drawn by County Attorney Calling and APP
proved by the County Commits
sionefs.

taias the following provisions:
sec. i. Provides for the election of a
Superintendent OF Roads to have charge
and control of all the road work through
out the county-prescribes his duties and
compensation.
Sec. ,. Provides that the commission
ers shall divide the county into five road
districts, and fix their boundaries, except
the Raleigh Road District-the boundary
OF which shall be the circumference of
a circle whose radius snail extend s
miles from the Capitol Building in Raj
eigh in every direction.
Sec. 3. Provides for the election Of five
road superyisors-one in each district.
Sec. i. Provides that each Supervisor
shall Re furnished with d complete out
1t Of teams, carts, machinery and tools
for use upon the roads of this district,
and the employment of each supervisor
CT ten hired laborcrs, continuously unon
the road work in his district. This num-
Der of hired laborcrs to be increased in
each district when thought necessary by
the Board of commissioners
Sec. 5. None of the machinery. teams,
tools, implements or property now be-
longing to the Raleigh Road District
sI,ali be used upon the roads of any 9TH
CT district, but the same shall be kept
for the exclusive use and benefit OF the
Raleigh Road District; and all c~onvicts
sentenced to the roads under tho provi-
sion of this Act, and all such as are now
sentenced to work upon the roads of the
Raleigh Road District, shall be exclusive
~ employed up the roads of said dis
trict. PROVIDED that when any work is
to be undertaken in another district
which requires the employment of a
large number of laborers, it shall be
lawful for said commissioners by spe-
cial order, to authorize the temporary
use of not exceeding . c%onvicts upon
such work. but not more than this num-
Der shall be absent from the district at
once, aud such special order shall not
be made when its operation would seri-
cusly interfere with the work in such
district.
Sec. 6 Provides that all a~ble-bodied
males, between the ages of q and IS,
except residents of incorporated cities and
towns, shall be required to work not to
exceed u days upon the roads of their
district. To be paid so cents for each
days labor or in lieu of such work to
pay a road tax of 5000 or furnish .
road hand in his place. If such HAND is
furnished his pay may be drawn by
the person furnishing him.
Sec. Z. Provides penalty for failing to
work roads or pay tax-made a misde-
meanor, punishable With fine or impris-
onment.
Sec. Is Provides that the u days of
read duty shall be done as follows: 4
days in March, balance in July, August
or September, as determined by the
Road Superintendent.
Soc 1P prCy;1a- +ha+ Observation-Disclosures
and Supervisors shall nave power to en-
ter lands to get gravel, dirt. etc, for
roads and method of compensation to the
owner.
Sec. II. Gives power to the Road
Superintendent, with consent of the Com
missioners, to alter or change the road
bed and fixes the method of compensa-
ton to the owner for land taken fer such
purpose.
Sec. 3. That the County omr1iss:on-
ers of Wake county are hereby authoriz~
ed to levy at the Jun session of their
board annually for public road urpos
not less than fifteen cents nor more than
. cents on the one hundred dollars worth
Of property, and not less than FORTY
five cents nor moro than seventy-fva
cents on the poll, and the Chairman of
the County Commissioners shall place
the same en- the tax list of the current
year to be included in and collected in
the annual taxes.
The Board Of County Commissioners
nave caused to be repaired for Wake
county 4 law for the Improvement of it's
public roads. The above sections will
explain the plan under which it is nro-
posed that the work should be done. and
those omitted refer chiefly TO matters
OF detail not nf puhIin ir,4oro.+ 49,
orc, however, Who cares to sec them can
do 50 by calling upon the County Attor-
ney.
Much careful thought and time has
been spent in the preparation of the
bill, and nearly all of its provisions will
&c found ii Tho modern road laws. in
fierce in the different counties of the
state It more closely resembles tho
Durham Road Law than any other, but
II differs from this law in two main
features:
!. It proposes to Keep the convict
icrcc at work upon the roads of the
Raleigh Road District, except a squad Of
-, which may he sent by the Board of
commissioners to tho country districts.
whenever they may need assistance ia
TONG road work something out Of the
ordinary-for example, heavy grading or
blasting. etc, and, second. to substitute
LOT the convict labor in the country
road districts, hired labor to be paid for
out OF the road fund and kept steadily
employed throughout the year. In each
district not less than 10 such hired labor
CTS are to be kept steadily employed IN
Ger the supervisor of the district. In
addition to such hired labor IL days of
read work arc to be performed by all
persons between the ages Of q and 10
Tor which each receives 50 cents for every
Gays work to be paid out Of the road
fund.
2. The proposed bill divides the coun-
= into ; road districts instead of max
ing each township a road district as is
done in the Durham and other road laws.
When the bill was presented TO the
Representatives of Wake county with
the request to secure its passage it
was soor apparent that there was SO
great a difference Of opinion. between
the ideas Of the Board OF Commissioners
and the Representatives Of the county. |
It is thought best to publish the
parts of the bill and state the
reasons of the Board in making the
differences in the method of work above