Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-04-20


after the thaw in the spring and
after each heavy rain. Each road
survey or may be paid by con trac,
or by force account as may be deter.
mined by the board of supervisors
with respect to sIch work as he NAV
do for it, and as may be determined
ny the board of supervisors with re.
spect to such work as he may do for
1t, and as may be determined by the
sub-disirict road tag payers with re-
spect to work done for them. Also.
giving power to said tax payers. by
said vote, if they choose, but not
compelling them so to do, to vote
annually an extra road tax for the
exclusive benefit of the particular
roads in such road sub-district.
This statute is two fold in its OBJ
Ject. 1t is designed to have purely
repair work on roads done frequently
and Systematically by local man
selected by the tax payers and i'm.
me diate road users of such neighbor-
hood, providing that the now famous
rut scraper or drag, invented by Mr..
Ward King, of Maitland, Mo-, more
than fifteen years ago, shall be put
IN use In Virginia, as it is in sue
cessful general use in mary other
states. And it gives opportunity
for putting into practical effect the
known fact that a majority of the
tax payers aud immediate users of
particular road are frequently per-
fectly willing to pay something
extra for improvement of such par
ticular road, and eau see that it will
pay them to do SO, whereas they
would object to an increase of the
general county or district road tax.
The other modifies the general
road law so as to give the state high
way engineer general supervisory
and advisory jurisdiction over boards
of supervisors so as to coordinate
the whole road system from top to
bottom and tend to prevent the
waste of a great deal of the $500. 900
now being raised by local road taxa
tion throughout the State. Enables
counties operating under general
road law to use money raised by
county and district road tax to COM
ply with conditions of Lassiter-
Withers road laws so as to obtain
state aid in shape of convict and
Jail road force. Also, provides q
less expensive and more expeditions
method of acquisition of rights of
way for new roads and change of
location of all roads; and further,
allow boards Of supervisors to APP
point district road superintendent;
use them as foremen; allowing a sup
ervisor to himself act in lieu of a
district road superintendent or sup
Elementary to the duties Of same;
and leaving it to the discretion of
board of supervisors whether it will
60 to expense of having q county
superintendent of roads; thus max
ing the general law more flexible to
meet local conditions.
Amongst the school laws passed
by the recent General Assembly
there is one, bill for which was also
introduced by Judge Sims, that is
of general interest.
This statue provides that in coun-
ties (the law does not apply to clties)
whose school board may choose so to
do, the schools shall be divided into
sub districts white aud colored sub
districts separately with but one
school in each sub-district, for power
of tax payers ann ually to elect three
school officers for such school, WITH
certain powers not in conflict with
the other school authorities bu
supplementary thereto, with respec
to the welfare of that part:cula
school and toward insuring its eff
cheney. Also, giving power to sucl
tax payers, if they choose, but no
compelling them 80 to do, to vot
an extra tax for the benefit of tina
particular school, to be applied t
improvement of the school building
grounds, etc., or adding to teaching
force or studies taught or otherwise
as the school sub-district tax payer
may determine, so as to add to tn
efficiency of the school.
This will put the. patrons of eac
school into more intimate connectio
with it and give them more contrc
. and proper control over it, withou
. interfering with the present schoc
authorities. Thus it is sought I
, stimulate and sustain an interes
on the part of patrons of our publ
schools which is generally and sadl
lacking at present In many rur,
, communities; and to give opportunit
for putting into practical effect til
9 known fact that majority of til
tax payers who are patrons of pa
ticular school will frequently
willing to pay something extra fl
r the improvement of their partIcnls
D school and can see that 1t will pa
them to 90 30 rather than have
send their children to priya
} school, whereas they would obje'
0 to an increase of the general count
y or district school tax.