The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1909-02-12
EACH MILE TO BE
A ROAD DISTRICT
ADMINISTRATION GOOD ROADS
BILL IN THE s'HOPPER.v
PROVISIONS for State Engineer Is
Dropped and Measure viii Be
Pushed Through by Unani-
nous Consent.

Iopeka-The good roads bill back
ed by the administration, was placed
IN the house hopper by Mitchell Of
douglas, chairman of the committee
on roads and highways. Members of
the committee have pledged them
selves to stand together as one man
and force it through.
In order to get the unanimous sup
port OF the committee, the administra-
ton was forced to drop that provision
creating state engineer to have gen.
eral supervision of all road work AS
now formulated the bill provides: -
For the purpose of building and i'm
proving roads and highways other than
the dirt roads, and for the repairing
of the same, the several counties of
the state of Kansas shall, after an
ELECTION provided for herein by ma
Jority vote, be declared road districts,
and the county commissioners shall
by proclamation submit to the legal
voters of their respective counties at
the next general election for county
and township officers, proposition to
adopt or reject the provisions of law
and levy tax of not more than two
mills on the dollar for a period of not
less than five years, upon all the tax
able property within their respective
counties.
Plans, stating specifically the hne
and route of each road intended to be
built, together with an estimate of the
maximum expenses for the construc-
ton of the roads, and the amount to
be built each year, and the estimated
cost, shall be published in the official
county paper at least sixty days be-
fore the election.
The improvement of the roads shall
include the grading and drainage and
the surfacing of the same with stone,
gravel shale, clay, sand, oil or other
materials and the construction of such
bridges and culverts as may be nee
essary.
If the road proposition fails at an
election the commissioners can sub
NIT it again at any other general cleo
ton. A majority of property owners
within half mile of any public road
may petition the commissioners for
the improvement of that road. 1t
voted, the county surveyor shall make
an estimate of the cost. The work
shall then be let by contract to the
lowest responsible bidder.
Section empowers the commission
ers TO levy tax of two mills for road
improvement purposes. Property with
in a half mile of the road shall pay 20
per cent of the cost of improvement.
Each mile of the road is to consti-
tute a road district Provision is made
for the levying of the assessment
against the farms by installments run
ming five years. The county pledges
the payment of the bonds. The i'm
provcment bonds cannot exceed 20
per cent of the cost, and they shall
not draw over per cent.
In case a county does not adopt
the provision making it one road dis
trict, the people along the road can
petition to have road district es-
tablished. and this question shall be
submitted to vote of the people OF
that district. If it carries, then the
road shall be built by contract under
the supervision of the county board.
Thirty per cent of the cost shall be
levied against land within one-half
mile of the road and the remaining
70 per cent against the land in the
road district The county at large
must pay the cost of bridges and cul-
verts.