The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-11-29
ADDRESS ON DIRT
ROAD" JONESLAW
Chance For Farmers To
Better Township Roads
COUNTRYMAN PROFITS BY PRO-
VISIONS OF JONES STATUTE
SOME INTERESTING FEATURES
OF THE ACT EXPLAINED.

The following article is reprinted
from a Lancaster county paper and
will be read with interest by all anx-
ious for dirt road improvement:
An address delivered before the
Lancaster County Farmers associa-
tion by Donald McCaskey, M. d.,
Wilmer, Pa, President Supervisor
Board, Lampeter township.
Mr.. President, Ladies and Gentle
men:
The man who is responsible for the
Jones law is E. E. Jones from Sus-
quehanna county. He has been a
member of the House for some years.
The trouble used to be that the
farmers were up against the city
man. The city men were we'll Or
ganized, with their automobile clubs,
chambers of commerce and business
mems league. All their road activi-
ties were previously made in behalf
of expensive hard surfaced roads
costing from $4,000 to $4,000 per
mile, and so with this kind of opposi-
tion the farmers got very little.
Jones was country man. He
knew what kind of a proposition we
country folks were up against He
realized that we country people
would have to have help for our dirt
road troubles and so he framed the
Jones Bill in order to give the oppor-
tunity to farmers and active super
visors to do something. Before this
time in some townships, road taxes
were never collected in cash, but
once a year they called the farmers
out to work on the roads, and there
was weeks jolification. Mr.. Jones
wanted to see the township road tax
money paid in to the treasury in
stead of having it worked out on the
roads, and he framed this bill which
provided for the States giving SO
per cent. of the amount of tax col
lected in cash to each township
which made such collection instead
of the work system. Some outsid-
ers meddled in and the amount was
reduced to $40 mile. The provis-
ions of the law 1 will briefly state.
First of all, the word road sup
ervisor" has been left out. Here
after road officials will be known as
township supervisors"
Another change is the time and
manner of electing supervisors. In
the coming township election one
supervisor will be elected. In 1913
IWO., III 1919 one. so 1t goes. The
term of each supervisor will be four
years. The time of the organization
of the board has changed to the first
Monday in December, so that every
thing will be in working order at
the beginning of the new calendar
year. A vital provision is that the
supervisors can get all the help they
want from the Highway Department
in Harrisburg.
If you people have any road diff
culties which you can not solve
yourselves, do not hesitate to call on
that Department to send man.
They will send one man or any num-
Der of men free of charge who will
do your surveying or make any nee
essary plans, all of which will cost
you nothing. If you wish to grade
hill, the Jones Bill provides that
you have the gratutous services of
surveyor.
Another vital point is that the su-
pervisors may employ a single man
to look after the entire road system
of the township, who shall be styled
as the Township Superintendent. 1t
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