Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1906-04-04
Good New Road Laws

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there are two bills which were Ia
troduced by Judge Sims, of Louisa,
that are of general interest.
One provides for dividing roads
of counties whose boards of su-
pervisors choose so to do, into divi-
sions containing not less than ten
nor more than thirty miles of roads,
each subsection to have in its ter
ritory, those property owners who
chiefly use the roads therein and
giving to such property owners
by a majority vote, which vote
shall include a majority of the free
holders therein which road sur
veyor is practically road section
man-in such road sub-district who
shall discharge certain duties with
respect to frequent repair work as
section foreman does on a railroad,
which duties are set forth in the
act and include the use of drag
or rut Scraper over all of the roads
of Clay soil, or soil other than sand,
in his road sub-district on an aver
age of once per month after the
thaw in the spring and after each
heavy rain. Each road surveyor
may be paid by contract or by
force account as may be determined
by the board of supervisors with
respect TO such work as he NAV do
for it, and as may be determined
by the sub-district road taxpayers
with respect 10 work done for them.
Also, giving power to said taxpay-
ers, 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 It's
object. 1t is designed to have
purely repair work on roads done
frequently and Systematically by
local man selected 10y the taxpayers
and immediate road users of each
neighborhood, 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 to use in
Virginia, as it is in successful gen
eral use in many other states. And
it gives opportunity for putting
into practical effect the known
fact that the majority of the tax
payers and immediate users Of
particular road are frequentlyper-
fectly willing to pay something
extra for improvement of such
particular road, and can 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
Highway Engineer general super
visory 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 taxation throughout
the State. Enables counties oper-
ating under general road law to
use money raised by county and
district road tax to comply with
conditions of Lassiter-W Withers
road laws so as TO obtain state aid
in shape of convict and Jail road
force. Also provides a less expen-
sive and more expeditions method
of acquisition of rights of way for
new roads and change of location
of all roads; and further, allows
boards of supervisors to appoint
district road superintendents; use
them as foremen; allowing a super
visor to himself act in lieu of a
district road Superintendent or
supplementary to the duties of
same; and leaving it to discretion
of board of supervisors whether it
will 60 to expense of having a
F county superintendent of roads;
thus making the general law more
. flexible to meet local conditions.
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