The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1911-03-09
ABSTRACT OF GOOD ROADS LAW
GIVING ALL THE IMPORT
ANT FEATURES
OPERATIVE FIRST OF JULY
Road Work Must be Done on Contract
After Advertising for Bids il
Amounting to More
Than S 100

hIu Illull a. llS SOSu oduS
law, which becomes operative July /.
The essential and vital features of
the law are given in the following
abstract:
Does not become a law until July
I, 1911, and consequently will have
little effect on methods of road work
until spring of 1912.
Abolishes Office of road overseer.
Townships shall have charge of all
road work which in one place or con-
tinuous stretch of road shall require
expenditure of less than $500.
Township supervisors shall desig-
nate one or more of their number
to oversee road work, to be paid S.
per day for such services.
Poll taxes at 81 per year shall be
paid in cash unless township votes
otherwise at annual meeting in March.
Read work must be done on CON
tract after advertising for bids if work
amounts TO more than s1O0.
Township supervisors shall make
annual levy on first Tuesday in Sep
TENDER each year which shall be en-
tered upon tax list by county auditor,
collected by county treasurer and
turned over to township treasurer in
same anner as other funds are trans
ferred to him.
At annual meeting in March cleo
tors may decide by majority vote to
allow taxes to be paid in labor at the
rate of 20 cents per hour for man and
40 cents per hour for man and team.
Plans and specifications for work
done under contract shall provide that
all highway grades shall be not less
than twenty feet in width with eight
inch rise in the center sloping each
way when completed.
In case of urgent necessity the >halr-
man Of the board of supervisors may
make nominal repairs o. any time and
employ a man for that purpose.
All taxes for road purposes hitherto
levied with option to pay the same in
labor must be worked out Eefore Sep
TENDER l, 1911, otherwise must be paid
in cash.
County commissioners shall meet
first Tuesday in September and levy
a road tax in addition to township
levies, not to. exceed five mills, to be
expended by said county board for the
benefit of the township from which
said tax is received. Majority of cleo
tors may direct a higher road tax up
to ten mills.
Sections IA to q inclusive are in
struCtiOns to county boards concern
ing letting of contracts and methods
of road work to be done under their
supervision; that is, york amounting
to $500 or more. 1t is provided that
in drainage work where the amount
of assessment against any n person
is more than 500, such assessment
may be paid in annual payments OF
500 with 6 per cent interest.
Section % relates to macadamizing
or oil roofing, graveling or ballast
ing roads and provides that such work
may be done on petition of two-thirds
of property owners resident in county
OWING two-thirds Of land abutting on
road to be so improved.
Others sections of the bill up to 80
relate to railroad crossings, cattle
ways, cattle guards, state lands abut-
ting on roads to be improved, handling
traction engines, etc. The provision
in regard to traction engines requires
reasonable care not to brighten hoses
and other animals met in the road;
requires the driver Of such engine to
stop on signal and allow drivers OF
horses to pass; require the planking
of bridges, culverts and street cross
ings.
Section 33 empowers the township
supervisors to have the main Travelled
roads including mail routes dragged
with any road or split-log drag at
such time as they deem most bene-
fetal and they shall contract therefor
at their March meeting. Not to eX-
coed forty per cent of the road tax
collected under the township levy shal:
be expended for this purpose and in
letting contracts for such wo.k pref
erence shall be given to occupants OF
land abutting or adjacent to the road
to be improved.
The act goes into effect July I, 1911.
but its operation may be suspended
in any county If before that date a
petition is filed with the county COM
nlissioners signed by ten per cent o.
the free-holders of the county, ask
ing that the question of whether 9,
not the act shall be adopted in such
county be submitted to a vote at the
general election in November, 1912
Such petition will suspend the act
in such county until that time. Il
the vote at such election is against the
law the question may be resubmitted
by the county commissioners at any
succeeding election on petition OF
fifteen PER rent of the voters.
Rapid City-Mrs. Bessie Wood and
| H.. L. De- Ir-arlr .rilarr- and ctan-