The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1906-03-27
ROAD AND SCHOOL LAWS
Two Bills lalr oducst By JUDGE Sims aed Passed
BY ltnsraI hsMn bIN

Amongst thc road laws enacted los the
recent General Assembly There arr TWO
bills which were introduced 10y Judg"
+. ". Sims oi Louisa. that arc of gen
crnI interest
one provides ior dividing roads OF
counties. whose boards of supervisors
choose -o to do. iutu divisions contain
ing not less tmu ten nor more than Tint
~ miles oi road~. each -uh-~' cton to
have iuit- territory those property own
e.. who chiefly Use the roads thciru aud
giving to such property owners. 10y
minority vote. which vote shall include
20 majority oi the free rholicrs thcniu
which road surveyor i- practically "a
road section man. iu such rold sub-di--
trict. who shalt discharge certain duties
with RESPECT Co frequent npalr work, us
"a section foreman does on "a railroad,
which duties ar.. SET forth iu tlc acf and
include thr use oi "a drag or rut scfaprr
over a.l of the roads of clay soil. cog soil
other than ~ald. Zoo Ai- road sub district
900 au average OF once per month after
the thlw iu tllr -lsirg aud after rach
heavy rain. Each road surveyor may ho
paid hy contract 0y hy force account a.
may Doe determined uy the board oi su-
pervi~or- with respect 20 such work as
be- may dO Tor if. and a~ may Dee deter
mined hythc sui. district road tax payers
with respect to work done Tor them.
Also giving power tu said tuN payers h}
slid vote. 81 they choose. hut not cou-
peliiue them 80 to do. to vote annually
au,Nta road iaN ilr tle exclusive bDue-
ht of th- particular und, n such innd
-uh-ll-ti.rt
This statute is two-loh in if~ object.
II Is designed tohaNc purely npair work
on roads dome frequently and ~ystemati-
calIy by local man -clectei by The taA
PAYERS ani immediate road Users of each
neiglhurl0od. providing that the now
ium1us rlt scaprr or dng. invented 10y
Mr. Ward King. of Maitland. Mo. more
than hIt.eu years ago. -llaIi heput iu use
iu Virginia. as ~ De- in successful general
Use in many otbrr States Aud % gives
opportunity for putting into rrurtlca.
effect tie known Tact that IA maIuuiY oi
the taN payers and immediate users OF "a
particular road are frequently perfectly
willing % pay something extra Tor iiu-
pr1ytmeu oi such particular road, and
can sta that it Viii pny them tp do so.
whereas they would Oh lect toau increase
oi the general county or district road
tax.
The other m0dihr~ the general road
law 80 a~ 90 give the Stutr highway en-
giuecr general supervisory and advisory
Jurisdiction over boards Oi supervisors
80 a. 90 coordinate the whole road -ys-
trm from top t0 bottom. and tend 90
prevent the waste oi great deal 0i the
S-OuOOO now being raised hy local road
taxation throughout thrS State Enables
counties operating under general road
iaW % use money raised hy county and
district road taA 90 comply with conii-
tiou- oi La-~itcf-N road laws so
as to obtain State aid in -hape of com
yict and jail road iorce. Also. provides
joss expensive and more expeditions
pethlI %. acquisition of rights ui way
for new roads and change oi l0ration OF
AL road. and. further. allows boards oi
supervisors % appoint district road su-
uerintsndcnts. Use them as iOfemen. ai-
lowing supervisor 10 himself act ln lieu
of a district road superintendent OF sup
Elementary tO the duties of same, and
having DO Co discretion of board OF super
yi-or- whether it will go tO eNpanse al
having "a county superintendent oiroads.
thus making the general hw more ilrNl-
bic 80 meet local conditions.
FOR SCHOOLS
Amongst the school laws passed by the
recent General Assembly there is one bill
which was also introduced by Judge
Sims that is oi general interest.
This statute provides that 90 counties
lthe law does not apply To citlesl, Whose
school board may choose 80 to- do, the
schools shall boz divided into ~ub-districts
lwhite and cOlOred -ub-dlstrict separated
with but one school in each sub-dlstTict.
for power of tax payers annually to
elect three school officers for such school,
with certain powers not Ia conflict with
other school authorities. but supplement
/ tary thereto. with respect 10 the welfare
| OF that particular school and toward in
surfing It's efficiency. Also, giving power
To such tax payers. ii they choose. but
not compelling them 50 to do. 10 vote an
extra tax for the benefit Of that partlcu-
lar school, To be applied To improvement
of the school building. grounds, &c., on
adding 10 teaching force or-tulies taught
or otherwise, as the school -ub-distrlct
/ tax PAYERS may determine, so os 10 add
TO the efficiency Oi the school
This will put the patrons OF each
school into more intimate connection
with it and give them more control and
proper control over il. without inter
fering with the present school authon-
ties. Thus it is sought 10 stimulate aud
sustain an interest on the part Oi pa
irons Of our public schools, which is gen
orally and sadly lacking at present in
many rural communities. and ioGiye op-
portunity for putting into practical
effect the known TACT hat a majority of
the tax payers who are patrons of par
ticuar school w. i'll frequently be- wiling
to pay something extra for the improve
ment OF their particular school aud can
see that it will pay them 10 do go rather
than have to send their children 10 a
private school. whereas they would ob
net to al increase of the general county