Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1909-04-09
The New Road Law.


county OF the state shall, within
SIX months after this act be-
comes effective, in each county of
the state having a population of
more than twenty thousand In
hahtants, appoint a county en-.
gineer of highways and bridges,
who shall have general supervis-
ion of all the highway and bridge
work In the county under the au
thority of the said county COM
mlssioners. If the county survey
Or Of the county is qualified by
training and experience for
this position, he may be appoint
ed to the off zee provided that in
any county having less than TWEEN
ty thousand inhabitants the coun-
ty commissioners may, by resolu-
ton of the board desiring to
take advantage of the provisions
Of this act, appoint in the man.
ner herein provided, a county
engineer of highways and bridges
Tor such county, who shall have
the authority herein given to
county engineers.
Sec. 2. 1t hall be the duty of
the said county engineer to be
at his office at the county seat
at Least one day in each week
to be designated by him, and at
such other times as the duties of
his office shall require. He shall
consult with the township high
way commissioners and the road
overSeers of the several districts
of his county, and shall direct
the manner of carrying on the
repairs and Improvements of the
roads, and shall give instructions
to such officials as to the best
methods and plans to be fol
lowed in making road repairs
or improvements, having regard
particularly to instructions in
reference to the use of the road
drag and the times at which such
drag shall be used. He shall
keep himself informed, by actu-
al view of the work to be done
upon the roads in his county,
and shall make and deliver to
the road overseers, outline plans
for such work, having spec
ial regard to the grading and
draining of the same. He shall
study the conditions as to the
character of the soil and topog-
raphy of the land in the sever
al townships of his county, and
give directions to the officers
having the direct supervision of
the repairs and Improvements
of the highways in such town
ships as to the best methods TO
be followed in the construction,
and Improvement of roads. He
shall collect information concern
ing the various deposits of stone,
shale, clay, gravel, sand and
other road building materials and
shall investigate proper and most
improved methods of using the
same. He shall classify the road
of his county according to their
relative Importance, designating
them as county, tOwnhip and
local roads, according to their i'm
|portance and amount of travel
upon them; and he hall see that
the roads 50 classified be kept
land maintained in condition in
proportion to Importance and
amount of travel. The tOwnhip
highway commission shall class
lily the roads in their respect
i've townships; provided, howev-
er, that appeal from such class
ification may be made to the
board Of county commissioners in
like manner as now provided by
law governing opening and relO-
cation of roads. Provided, fur.
ther, that in all such classification
roads used wholly or in part for
rural free delivery mail routes
shall be cIaSSed either as county
or township roads and no.
as local roads. He shall make
maps of roads and highways in
the different road districts and
townships and where there are
no other records or. the records
are incomplete, shall make maps
and plats and file with the coun-
ty clerk, which when passed
on and adopted by the board of
county commissioners, shall be
the records of. such road where
there are no other records and
shall be additional and suppleme