Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1909-01-22

uneAplreQ Term.
The several city departments
shall be divided up under super
vision of the mayor and each of
the commissioners and the board
will be authorized to appoint a
city attorney, clerk, treasurer,
police Judge, marshal, fire chief,
and other officials and employees
for terms of two years. All Or
dinances are to be made by the
commissioners but upon petition
of twenty-five per cent Of the
electors any ordinance that is
not favOrably received must be
referred to the electors for adOp-
ton or rejection as the majority
decides, and any ordinance deSir-
ed by twenty-five per cent of the
electors shall also be referred to
the voters for decision, in the
event the commissioners refuse
to adopt the ordinance.
The first good roads measure
to be introduced into the Senat'
was presented by the minority
leader, Senator George H. Hodges
of johnson county. The meas
ure follows almost exactly the
Stubb's message to the Leglsla-
ture. The cost of improving is
to be met by land owners of the
beenfit district, the township
and county through which the
tlI' roughfare passes.
The bill has been so prepared
that about so per cent of the
cost is to be paid by the ada
cent land owners, 25 per cent by
the township through which the
ruad passes and the other 25 per
cent by the county. The latter
pays for all bridges and culverts,
winch IS estimated will be about
one-fourth the cost of improve
ment.
The measure begins in the fol.
lowing manner: Wherever a
majority of the landholders along
the lines of any regularly laid
out road shall petition the coun-
ty commissioners, the county
commissioners shall cause such
road to be improved" The bill
requires that the petition shall
state the name of the road, the
points between which the i'm
prOvements are to be made, the
kind of improvements, and the
number of annual assessments
not exceeding ten, that are nee
eSsary to pay for the improve
ment.
According to this measure, the
county commissioners are to have
entire charge of improving the
roads. The work is to be paid
for by 6 per cent special improve
ment bonds issued by the county
commissioners. The commission
ers are allowed to appoint an
overseer or superintendent from
} among their own number or an
outside party, and he shall have
supervision of the work. The ov
erseer is to be paid $3.50 per
day and his vouchers are to be
: paid by the county.
The cost of actual improvement
lshaN be paid by the landowners
lin the benefit district created be-
J fore the work has comeneed, ant
by the township. Seventy-five
per cent of the cost is apportion-
ed to land owners and the rest
to the township at large. The
cost of constructing all necessa-
ry bridges and culverts is to be
paid by the county at large.
The bill further provides that
the land owners in the benefit di
trict win not have to pay their
road tax during the time they ar
paying for the road improve
ments. The annual assessments
t are to be paid with the regular
taxes.
"This bill was prepared espec-
tally with the idea of making the
property owner who is directly
benefited by the road improve
ment pay for most of the work. "
lsaid Senator Hodges, 81 am not
lin favor Of a general county tai
to pay for these roads, as many
Z in the township or county will
receive little beenfit from it. The
D cost, so I have figured, will be
: divided in an equitable manner
} between county, township and
property owners who are directl!
4, 81. M IL 1---o.r ~