The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1908-03-20

There Is no DOUBT that these meet
lngs will result in much good by en-
abling the road OvCrscers to adopt
more uniform system of road i'm
prOvcmcnt. They all realize that il
is impossible to macadami2e In,
roads of st. Francois county witt
the funds available; but it will b,
their endeav0r 10 get the most pos
sihle good out of the means mt hand
We take pleasure in presenting
below Mr.. Holmans address to the
| OyersccrS:
Mr.. Holman's Address:
Fellow Road Ovcrsecrs: It is with
| pleasure that | greet YOU and meet
with you on this occasion. | hope
! that our meeting together will be oi
| mutual benefit to ourselves and to
all the people throughout this cOun-
ty. As road Ovcrsecrs, YOU have
been called here that we might CON
fer together and discuss matters per
tanning to road Improvement. BY
appointment Of the County Court il
has become my duty to take "dircct
supervision over all OF the public
roads Of ST. Francois county and
over the road OVcrsccrs and of the
expenditures of all county and direct
funds made by the road oversccrs Of
the county, and also to have super
vision over the construction and
maintenance of all Culyerts, bridges
and roads.
The County Court has made each
Of you an ovcrsccr of roads in some
one Of the twcnty-siX road districts
of st. Francois county. You are
citizens and resident taxpayers of
the districts over which YOU have
been appointed. And being citizens,
We trust that you will take lively
interest in the welfare of your dis
trict, that you may have so much
enthusiasm on the subject of road
Improvement that all those who
come in contact will will be infected
with that enthusiasm, so that there
will spread throughout this county
such "A desire for better roads as will
impcl the people to make the roads
better or be willing 10 pay for the
making.
1t is II sure, certain fact that If
the people of st. Francois county
want good, permanent roads they
must make them or pay for the max
ing. We would not have il otherwise
We are not beggars or the receivers
Of aims, but free American citizens,
accustomed To buying the things we
need and dispensing with those things
beyond our means. 1t is within the
means of st. Francois county to
have better roads. You, gentlemen,
as road uvcrsccrs, have some things
to do, chief of which is outlined in
thrs" words: lP. IL, Sec ! Of the.
Road Law at shall be tn" duty of
the road ovcrSoer to keep the roads
in his district in as good repair as
the funds ut his command will per-
init" The law does not require of
you that you build rock roads with
out money, but il does require that
in such way as to produce results.
1t is the duty of the people To pro-
ducc road funds. ii is your duty to
spend those funds.
Your first duty after appointment
and during the month of March Is
to prepare list OF all ablc-bodcd
resident male citizens in your dis
trict between the ages of u and 10
years, and file the same with the
County Clerk on or before the first
of April. In the preparation of this
list you may apply to all persons,
corporations and individuals to fur
nish to you the number of persons
employed who are liable to the pay
ment of road tax. II is important
that the correct names be given of
the persons listed as poll taxpayers,
for ii they should fail or refuse to
pay such tax, then in due time a
suit would he brought to collect such
tax, and If the correct names are
not given such suit would fail and
the costs be taxed against the road
district. Sec Sec. s, Mo. Road Law.
which is as follows
"Thc county courts in this State,
at the May term thereof, shall levy,
for road purposes, upon every able
bOcicd male inhabitant in the several
rOac districts in the county over u
and under fifty years of age, n poll
tax of not less than two dollars nor
more than four dollars, except upon
persons residing within incorporated
cities, towns and villages. Persons,
subject to poll tax for road purposes
shall have the right, mt their cleo
ton, to pay the same in money or
labor within their road district, and
If in labor, at the rate of one dollar
per day for "A hand, or two dollars
per day for hand and team. If the
person subject to n poll tax desires
to pay the same in labor he must
notify the road overseer, in writing,
prior to the first day of June of each
year to nat effect, and the road
overseer shall designate the date
when his servicee will be required
within thirty days after such notice
is received, and If such poll-taX
payer does not so notify the road
overseer prior to the first day of
June, II shall be deemed that such
poll-tax payer has elected to pay the
tax in money, and the same shall be
due and payable in money on the
first day of June of the wear IL IL