Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1907-11-06
PLAN FOR GOOD ROAD.
Missouri Judges Suggestion to
Build One by Taxation.
IDEA MEETING WITH FAVOR.

Cole County Jurist Would Have spe-
eisl Road Distriets--under an Act
of 1905 Citizens May Organize For
Taxes to Make Pixies.
The citizens Of the central Missouri
counties along the line of the southern
route Of the proposed state highway
from Kansas City to st. Louis are
Jealous In their efforts to organize spe-
cial road districts as provided for I'M
der the act of 1905, says Jefferson
City (NIo.) correspondent of the Kansas
city Times. This law authorizes the
formation of special road districts con-
tanning not less than 1000 acres OF
land which can be assessed for the
building of roads.
Judge Henry B. Bode, presiding
Judge of the county court Of Cole eoun-
ty, has devised simple plan for the
construction of rock roads. His plan
Is meeting with the approval Of the
citizens and the county courts In the
neighboring counties along the route.
His plan is TO have each district con-
sist Of sixty-four forty-acre tracts ar
ranged in a rectangle four miles long
and a mile wide. Through the center
Of this mile of rock road is to run.
The levy of direct tax of 81 on each
acre would create fund Of $780,
which, 1t is estimated, would construct
mile of rock road under ordinary
conditions. The district could be lar
ger. however. and more money raised.
The tax could be paid In fifteen or
twenty years. The tax, of course,
would have to be levied In proportion
to the benefits derived. Land near the
road would pay more than that farther
away In the same district.
These special road districts, under
the law of 1905, are organized in the
following manner:
The taxpayers Of any proposed dis
trict may petition the county court for
organization under this road law into
a road district, giving the boundaries
and the total number Of acres In the
proposed district The county court Is
then empowered to isske an order for
a temporary organization and shall ap-
point three commissioners to assess
the benefits to accrue to the land. This
shall be done with reference to the To-
cation of the land to the road. Tho
land adjoining should Of course pay
more than the land at distance. Aft
ha a
port to the court, after the temporary
organization is effected, the court will
then submit to the voters the PROPOSE
ton of fixing the tax rates and submit
all three plans for raising the money.
1t shall specify whether the money
shall be raised at once, by direct taxa
ton which will be within one year or
whether bonds shall be issued payable
In five or twenty years and to provide
a sinking fund to pay the bonds and
the interest.
The court shall advertise the special
election and the proposition submitted,
and the real estate owners have the
right to vote according to the amount
Of land they own. They may cast one
vote for each acre of land they own
within the district For instance, the
man who owns forty acres has forty
votes, and the owner of 100 acres gets
that many votes. If majority vote
for either proposition, then the same
shall be declared carried, and the as
sessment will be levied according to
the benefits fixed by the commission
ers. However, If the majority of the
votes are against all of the PROPOSE
lions the court shall pay the cost out
Of the road fund of the county and tho
district shall lie dissolved and the pro
ceedings stopped, and they cannot
again lie voted on for two years.
The county courts Of Cole and Monl
teau counties have recently awarded a
Joint contract for the construction OF
a wagon bridge across the Moreau riv-
er midway between Jefferson City and
California which when finished can be
utilizel for the new state highway over
A." southern route.