Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-12-14

rate per-. mile on the basis OF the
number OF miles necessarily Travelled
in dragging. It occurs, to me that
the words back and forth are used
in the new law for the purpose OF EN-.
phasizing the fact that a. the travel
j while In the act Of dragging should
j be taken into account In determining
I the number of miles and, does not
have reference to a round trip IN
dragging q stretch Of road. In any
event, it is discretionary with the
trustees in fixing the rate OF compen.
sation and If the maximum OF tfty
cents should prove to be too high un'
der any conditions, the rate could be
reduced to point where 1t would pc
| fair and equitable under the cond1'
TORS under which the work Is done.
But If the provision In question should
! be construed to mean that fifty cents
is the maximum authorized to be paid
| for travelling two miles with the drag,
1t undoubtedly would have the effect
in some localities OF making it prac-
tically impossible to secure any one
! to do the work.
| Cat a later date, disagreeing with
the attorney generals opinion on this
point, I wrote him as follows:
| According to your interpretation OF
what man would have to do with say
three horses, to earn $500 day,
would be to travel four miles and back
with q drag, a total Of eight miles, In
other words, if he took piece of road
four miles long which it only took one
round Of travel to keep in order he
could 60 over this four miles of road
in one round trip, put it in condition,
charge up to the trustees $500, 80
home to dinner, and do another day s
work in the afternoon. In other
words, man with two heavy horses
and drag, or with three horses and
drag would earn, according to your
Interpretation from $500 to $1,000
day, which you readily see would be
an exorbitant price.
| $A.-You cite various illustrations to
demonstrate that the compensation to
be paid for dragging under the inter.
probation of the law as you conceive
I made it exorbitant. For instance,
you say that under my Interpretation
Of the law a person in making round
trip with the drag on six mile
stretch of road would be entitled to
$500 and that under average condi-
tions a man with team Of two or
three horses could accomplish this in
half day and could drag another
stretch of road equally long in the
afternoon and thus earn another $500,
making $1,000 in all. might agree
with you that this much compensation
for this much work is too high but un-
der the law have Interpreted it it Is !
absolutely unnecessary to pay the |
amount mentioned for that amount of |
work. AS I said at the outset, you |
have mis-read what said on the sub
ject. I think you have assumed that /
held that the trustees were compelled |
to pay SO cents for every mile Travelled
with drag in the act Of dragging the
road. quote this much from the first
paragraph Of my letter relating to this
subject which think sufficiently
states the rule correctly:
"The amount that can be paid for
dragging the roads is not to exceed
fifty cents per mile for every mile
necessarily and actually travelled upon
the highway while in the act of drag
ging the same in accordance with the
contract therefor" -. r., +;
And there is nothing to prevent the (
trustees from fixing different rates of
compensation for dragging the roads
in the same township. Under certain
conditions twenty-five cents per mile I
of travel might be very liberal COM
pensation. Under other conditions in
the same township forty cents per
mile Of travel would not be too much"
Q.-What penalties are provided for .
failure of carrying out the provisions
Of this bill.
Amy violation of any Of the pro-
visions of this act, by the superintend-
ent If dragging or any person or per-
sons, who may be required under con-
tract to drag district roads, or neglect
on t. e part of any township clerk to
set aside the funds required by this act
shall on conviction thereof, be fined
not less than ten dollars ($10) or more
than twenty-five ($25) for the first Of
tense. and for each subsequent offense
shall be fined not less than twenty-five
(s25) nor more than fifty dollars ($5O).