The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-04-01
SUGGESTION OF 4 LAW
Bookings Man Offers a Suggestion
Concerning the Formation of a
Good Roads Law.

Good Roads Law.
Sioux Falls Press: Something like
this is the way l would like to meet
those old fogies who are opposing
good highways:
There shall be elected in each
county that is organized into civil
townships one officer who shall be
called rOad-civil engineer, who shall
have the necessary ability to run the
lines and levels and to construct
highways. The engineer shall do
work in each township in the county
as directed by the county commits
sioners, after the commissioners have
been petitioned by a majority of the
electors in a township and a resolu-
ton has been carried at the annual
town meeting praying for the con-
struction Of highway in any particu-
lar place.
This particular county work shall
be done by contract let by the road
civil engineer to the lowest best re-
sponsible bidder at public bid. After
the engineer has awarded a contract
the contractor shall go to the county
attorney and enter into a contract
with the county to at once enter up
on the work as 500 as may be and
complete the same to the satisfaction
OF the contract and the specifications
of the road civil engineer as shown
by the specifications on file in the
office of the county commissioners,
and when the work has been complet-
ed the road civil engineer may ac-
cept The same and file his notice of
acceptance with the county commits
sioners and the county commits
sioners may draw their warrant to
pay for the same from the fund
known as the special highway fund.
At the time of levying the general
taxes the county commissioners shall
levy one-half mill in each year which
shall be known as the special high
way fund and such fund cannot be
used for any other purpose. The
road civil engineer shall file a trans
cript of his proposed Improvements
in regard to any particular piece of
highway in any township as the pc
it must be approved by the board of
county commissioners before any
contract can be consummated. The
road civil engineer shall lay out
where necessary the course and line
of necessary drain ditch and the
board of township and road over
seers of the road district, shall pro-
coed as is now provided by law to
condemn and pay the allowed dam
ages to the owner of such land as
the ditch damages more than it bene-
fits the lands. A copy of the town
ship records of this particular ac-
ton of township officials shall be
and no work can be done under the
provisions of this act except these
preliminaries have been fulfilled by
the township that petitions for the
road work under this particular fund.
case work is petitioned for upon
supposed highways that deviate from
section lines, a certificate made by
the county attorney that he had read
the township records and that they
were regular and complete in form
Sin regard to the establishment of
s.snch highway shall be on file in the
county commissioners office before
the commissioners can order the
work done.
1t is not the intention of this act
TO reduce the usual work as now re-
quired by law to be done by the civil
township methods, but that the WORK
done upon the highways under this
special provision shall be done with
proper materials and in the most per-
manent and lasting manner COM
mensurata with the growth and de-
velnpment of the state of South Da-
kota. Alter a piece of highway has
been constructed under the provis-
ions of this act the township Off
class should be compelled to carry out
all instructions served upon the town
ship clerk of the township as to drag
ging, rolling, etc., upon this highway
as necessity arises. and the order OF
the county commissioners calls for,
and the road civil engineer Shall
supervise the labor and file his ap-
prevail before the commissioners can
accept that the order has been com
piled with.
The road civil engineer should use
the best material ~cbtainable, com
bining materials such as clay, gravel
sand. stone, and cement, according
to the latest improved methods, lead
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