Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-02-18
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PLAN FOR GOOD ROAD.
Missouri Judges Suggestion to Build
One BY Taxation.

The citizens Of the central Missouri
counties along the line Of the southern
route Of the proposed state highway
from Kansas city to St.tLouis are.
Jealous In their efforts to organize spe-
ciai road districts as provided for un-'
der the act Of 1905, says a Jefferson
City, Mo. correspondent Of the KAN
sas City Times. This law authorizes
the formation of special road districts.
containing 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 coun-.
ty, has devised a simple plan for. the
construction Of rock roads. His plan
is meeting with! the approval of the
citizens and the county courtssin the
neighboring counties along the route.
His plan is to have each district
consist of sixty-four forty-acre tracts
arranged in a rectangie 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 a fund Of $2,-
$50, which, 1t is estimated. would con-
struct a mile of rock road under ordi=
nary conditions. The district could be
larger, 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: .... ." .. .,r
The taxpayers Of any proposed dis
trict may petition the county court
for organization. under this road law
into road district, giving the bounda-
ries and the total number OF acres In
the proposed district. The county court
Is then empowered to issue an order
)r a temporary organization and
shall appoint three commissioners TO
assess the benefits to accrue to the
land. This shall be done with reference
to the location of the land to the road.
The land adjoining should Of course pay
more than the land at a distance. Al
ter the commissioners make their re-
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 120 acres gets
that many votes. If a 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 commissioners.
However, If the majority Of the votes
are against all of the propositions the
court shall pay the cost out Of the road
fund of the county and the district
shall be dissolved and the proceedings
stopped. and they cannot again be voted
on for two years.
The county courts of Cole and Moni-
teau counties have recently awarded
Joint contract for the construction OF
wagon bridge across the Moreau riv-
er midway between Jefferson City and
California which when finished can be
utilized for the new state highway over
the southern route.