The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1907-06-07

Radical Change Provided by Ely slll.

| Dotn houses oI tne legislature ana n q
step in the direction of more permanent
work and better roads. Some of its
main provisions are as follows:
1t provides for two highway taxes
the road repair tax, assessed on all
property in the township outside the
incorporated villages, which tax shall
not exceed 80 cents on each one hun.
dred dollars valuation; another tax of
equal amount, known as the highway
| improvement tax, assessed on all prop.
erty in the township, including that
in villages.
The officers under the new law are
as at present highway commissioner,
whose duties in addition to those he
now performs not inconsistent with
the new law, are to supervise and d.
rect the expenditure of the fund for
repairs and improvement which shall
directly benefit the property taxed not
to exceed 800 on any one mile of high
way. On complaint of ten taxpayers
an appeal may be taken to the township
board as to the place and manner of the
expenditure of this fund.
To supervise and direct the expendi-
ture of the highway Improvement fund
under the direction of the township
board for the construction, permanent
improvement and repair of highways
and bridges throughout the township
| A new officer provided for by this
bill is a township overseer of highways
who shall be elected at the April cleo
| ton and hold his Office for one year.
He shall work under the direction of
| the highway commissioner and in GER
tain cases perform his duties, as in case
| Of sickness, death, removal or disquali.
| fication.
Tie compensation of the highway
commissioner is fixed by the township
board, but must not be less than So nor
more than So day. The overseer of
highways receives not less than $3.50
nor more than ST.
The most important and beneficial
change is that this law does away en-
tirely with working the roads" in pay
ment of road taxes. All highway taxes
must hereafter be paid in money. The
| highway commissioner can employ Ia.
Dor and will, of course, employ such
farmers along the line of the road as
can give their time to the work when
it is needed, but the law very wisely
provides that hereafter no work except
few repairs can be done after Septem-
Der of each year.
The amount of taxes to be raised in
each township each year are voted by
the electors at the annual meeting, but
if they neglect or refuse to do this, it
then becomes the duty of the township
board to fix the amount to be raised
for repairs and permanent improve
ment.
Of course, under this law, there will
be but one highway district in each
township, and the multiplicity of dis
tricts heretofore will be done away
| with.
Section 16 provides that "all work
hereafter done upon roads and bridges,
except such work as may be required
for repairs, shall have in view the per-
manent improvement of such roads
and bridges. Before beginning such
permanent improvement on any high
way survey of the highway shall be
made by a competent surveyor and a
profile of such survey shall be made
and placed on file with tie township
clerk" This section further provides
that all turn-piking shall be done in
accordance with this profile and that
before any gravel or stone shall be put
on such turnpike shall be used one
year. The ruts shall then be filled and
the road is ready to be graveled or ma.
cadsmizsd. The gravel or stone must
not be less than nine feet wide and not
less than six or more than twelve inch.
es deep.
Section 10 provides that any person OF
persons may, by arranging with the
highway commissioner, grade, gravel,
macadamize or pave any road at their
own expense, that the work may be
done under the supervision Of the high.
way commissioner who shall be paid by
the township treasurer.
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