The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-10-07
TOWNSHIP ROADS MUST BE
MEASURED.
Law Requires That This Be Done by
November i3 to Obtain State Aid.

BY an act of assembly approved
18th of May, 1909, great change
is made in the administration of
township affairs. Briefly summar-
lied the new act provides:
The office of town clerk is abol.
ished.
Work road tax is abolished but
may be adopted in any township
by majority vote at any munici-
pal election.
All road taxes are collected by
the township tax collector and all
abatement of five per cent. is allow
ed up TO June OF all taxes paid
and penalty of five per cent. add
ed OIL all taxes not paid before DC
tober 1. Notice to pay taxes is to
be given by posters, the same as
county, school and poor taxes.
The board of supervisors is to
organize the first Monday i'll March
each year by electing one of their
number as chairman and appointing
a secretary and treasurer. The
secretary and treasurer may or may
not be a member of the board and
both offices may be held by one per-
son.
Supervisors may work on roads
and oversee work themselves or
may employ roadmasters. The rate
of compensation Of supervisors for
work on roads is TO be fixed by the
board of auditors the wages per
hour of roadmasters and laborers is
fixed by the supervisors; the COM
blned compensation allowed the
secretary and treasurer can not eX-
ceed two per cent of the amount of
money paid out by the treasurer
and within that limit the compen-
sa,ion is fixed by the board of au-
ditors.
The state will pay the township
so per cent. of the amount of cash
road taxes collected, not exceeding,
however, $40 for each mile of town
ship road.
1t is further provided that within
six months after the passage of the
act the supervisors shall measure
all pubic roads in their respective
townships and report to the high.
way commissioners.
There are many other details in
the act, important in themselves,
and 1t will require careful consider
alton before the effect Of the pro-
visions is understood.
II is TO be noted that the provis-
ion for measuring the roads is now
effective. The roads are all to be
measured within six months after
the passage of the act, and that
means that all roads must be meas
ured before November IS, 1909.
This measuring may be done by
cyclometer or by any method di-
rect2d by the supervisors. While
this act does not in express terms
SO provide, yet it would seem to
bear the construction that unless
such measuring is done and report
ed to the State Highway Commits
sioner within the six months the
township will not be entitled to the
so per cent. from the State. Every
board of supervisors should note
this and have the roads measured
and reported SO as to be on the safe
side.
This act will greatly benefit the
townships having large road mile
age, but will not be so favorable to |
the thickly settled townships with
small road mileage. For instance
"a township with so miles or over
Of public roads, and a valuation of |
$3.50, 900, will receive the full so |
per cent, while a township with
$500, 900 valuation and only five
miles of road will receive far less.
A levy Of ten miles in the first
township would give $500 from the
state, while the latter would receive
only SIoo whatever its levy, This
larger aid to the poorer townships |
seems to be equitable even if not
based on equality.
N