The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1909-03-25
TWO new ROAD LAWS
Township Trustees Must Have Roads
Dragged and the Adjoining Land
Owners are to be Paid.

Owners are to be Pdid.
The legislature has passed two in
portant new road laws, one being Sen
ate File No. 317 which was passed by
the Senate on March 18th, and by the
House on March 20th, and goes into
effect at once. 1t provides that the
t ,wnship trustees shall have all main
travelled roads including mail routes
dragged at such times as in their judg-
| ment is most beneficial and they shall
contract at their April meeting to have
given pieces of roads dragged at rate
not to exceed 80 cents per mile travelled
in dragging. The other bill is House
| File No. D, which provides for dividing
Townships into two or more road dis.
tricts and the selection of road super.
intendents for a term of two years by
vote of the electors. This new law
takes effect on July 1st, 1909.
These new road laws make radical
changes and we publish them in full in
order that our readers may know just
What they are:
SENATE FILE NO. 317.
"A bill for an act to repeal sections
Fifteen Hundred Seventy-B d570-b) and
Fifteen Hundred Seventy-C u570-c) of
the supplement to the code, 1907, and to
ebaer a substitute therefor, relating to
the working of highways and providing
penalties for in ury to such highways
or the work done thereon.
Be it Resolved by the Senate, the
House concentrate of Iowa:
SECTION 1. That the law as it appears
in sections fifteen hundred seventy-b
1570b) and fifteen hundred seventy-c
(1570-c) of the Supplement to the Code,
1897, be and the same is hereby re-
-pealed and the following enacted in
lien thereof:
SEC. 3 The townships trustees shall
have all the main travelled roads, in
cluding mail routes, in their townships
dragged and at such time as in their
judgment is most beneficial, and they
shall contract at their April meeting to
have given piece Of road dragged at a
| rate not to exceed fifty cents per mile
| for each mile travelled in dragging. In
choice of persons to do the work or in
making contracts to do such work,
preference shall be given, other things
being equal, to the occupants of the
land abutting the road or adjacent
thereto at the point where the work is
to be done, but if more than one oc-
cupant, the trustees may decide to
which preference shall be given. So
far as possible such dragging shall be
done following transforms when the
earth on the road surface is in the con-
sistency of mortar or in condition to
accomplish the best results. Nothing
! hyseia contained shall prohibit town
| snip trustees from causing other than
main travelled roads in their township
to be dragged. No compensations shall
be paid to any persons for dragging
roads unless the same be authorized by
the township trustees and in the man.
ner directed by them and other work
than dragging may be done when it can
accomplish better results. Not less thar
forty per cent Of the road tax, on land
abutttng the road or adjacent thereto
shall be worked on said road.
SEC 3. 1t shall be the duty Of the
city council of cities and incorporated
towns to cause the main travelled roads
within the corporate limits leading into
the city or town to be dragged and 81
far as practicable and possible, the
provisions of this act shall be ap
plicable.
SEC. 4. The trustees may at any time
when their contract with the partie!
for dragging the road has not beer
properly complied with, or when tn,
work is not done in a satisfactory man
ner. cancel said contract with tn,
party or parties.
J SEC. 5. 1t shall be unlawful for an,
person or persons to leave after grad
} ing, loose earth, weeds, or sods in th
highways in such a manner as to inter
, fere with safe travel.
Sec. 6. 1t shall be unlawful for an,
person or persons to drive, ride, O
cause to be driven q vehicle of an,
description in or upon the south half Q
an east and west highway or east hal
of a north and south highway after tn
same has been dragged and before sue
portion of the highway shall have drie
sufficiently to pack under horses feet
or frozen hard enough to carry, pre-
vided that nothing in this section shal
, apply in those instances where it is i'm
, possible to drive with safety on tn
, west or north side of the road.
Sec. z. Any person violating any Q
the provisions of this act shall be guilt
, of a misdemeanor and shall on convie
! tiOn thereof be fined not less than on
!, dollar nor more than ten dollars for tn
first offense and for each offense there
after shall be fined sum not less tha
five dollars nor more than twenty-fiv
dollars and all fines collected by prose
$ cution under this act shall be paid int
5 the road fund of the township wher
!, the offense was committed or damag
!. done to the road.
3 SEC. s. This act, being deemed of im
mediate Importance shall take effec
, and be in force from and after it's publ
! cation in the Register and Leader an
: Des Moines Capital, newspapers put
lished in the city Of Des Moines, low:
HOUSE FILE NO. 5.
A bill for an act to amend the law a
it appears in section 1924 Code sur
plement 1907 relatives to the duties {
. township trustees, the election an
: compensation of road superintendent!
: the division and consolidation of roa
: districts and the collection of propert
!. road tax.
: Be it Enacted by the General As
sembly Of the State of Iowa:
SECTION 1. That the law as it appear
in section 1532-a Code Supplement {
1907 be hereby amended by insertin