The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1907-06-22
Recent Legislation on the I'M
proyement of the Public Roads,

AAGAAAAAE ANG
road system of the state, perhaps,
than any other Legislature in the
history OF the state. If the county
courts and other officers having
charge of the road work will take
advantage of the provisions of the
recent laws there Will soon be a
marked improvement ,in the public
roads of the state. In the first place
the Legislature provided for more
revenue. The war fund, amounting
to S475,000 was divided AMONG the ia
counties and the City of st. Louis
which viii give a little more than
$4,000 to %eachcounty. This money is
now available upon requisition by the
county treasurer and will 90 into the
county road fund to be used at the
discretion of the county court. There
was also appropriated out of the
general revenue fund S50O,OOO to be
apportioned to the different counties
on the basis of assessed valuation, linn
iting any county or city to 5 per cent of
the funds. This will give st. Louis
City and jackson county each 5 per
cent, leaving 80 per cent or $3.50, 600
to be divided among the other ll3
counties. This money, however, will
not be available before the first of
January 1908 and will be available
then upon condition that the county.
road district or citizens acting Jointly
or separately, shall provide an equal
sum for permanent road improve
ment.
A constitutional amendment was
submitted by the Legislature which
VIII be voted on at the next general
election in 1908 and which, if adopted,
will give to county courts discretion.
airy power to levy not to exceed %
cents on the one hundred dollars
valuation. 1t will be sometime,
however, before the counties can avail
themselves of this provision and until
that time those counties whose funds
will not permit appropriating money
for permanent road Improvement,
must depend upon special road dis.
tricts making benefit assessments or
upon funds provided by the citizens
to supplement the money, from the
state fund.
Another important law is the one
creating the Office of state highway
engineer. This officer will be an.
pointed by the Board of Agriculture
early in July and as soon as he is an.
%polntedhis services will be available by
county courts and road commissioners
in the laying out of roads, selecting
materials, making plans for bridges,
etc, his services being paid for 0y
the state and will be free to the
counties. Any county or community
contemplating building a permanent
road and has not the advice of a
competent engineer will do well to
call upon the state highway engineer
Tor that purpose.
On the first of January 1908 another
law, revising the entire working
system of the road law, will 90 into
eject. This law provides for the
appointment by county courts of a
county highway engineer who will
have general supervision of all road
work and over all overseers. 1t is
Important that county courts select
for this position good, practical men
and men having some knowledge of
road materials and road construction.
Under this law the overseer NAV
provide for the maintenance of the
entire mileage of dirt roads in his
district by use of the road drag or
otherwise, as may be deemed hest.
129kH
This overcomes the handicap in intro.
ducing dragging heretofore. Another
law that will work in harmony with
this Is known as the Stapleton Law.
providing that the overseer or road
commissioner shall have the road
drag used upon the public highways.
when, in his judgement, the road
would be improved thereby, giving
preference to the occupants of the
land to do the work, and providing for
a reasonable compensation, not ex-
ceeding so cents per mile for dragging
over the road two rounds, and limit
ing the expense to s. per mile e
annum or $40 per mile upon roads
along which United States Rural De-
livery Routes have been established.
GEO, B. ELLIS,
Sect'y., State Board of Agriculture.