Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-04-15
UNDER NEW LAW SUPERVISORS
MUST DESIGNATE AND CARE
FOR COUNTY ROADS.
RESPONSIBILITY NOW
RESTS WITH COUNTY BOARDS
Supervisors Must Care for Designated
County Roads and Township Trus.
tees for Others -Law Provides for
Road improvements Under Direction
Of State, County :sand Township.

Council Bluffs, April: 15.-Perhaps in
no county of the state was the board
Of supervisors so prompt in complying
with the requirements Of the law
passed by the legislature directing
county boards to designate a county
= road system as in Potta wattamie
county. The law is now but six days
I'D, and yet complete road system
for this county has already been out
Ilined. -,s,s.,..,
There will. be- protests. and plenty Of
them. when the law is understood.
Some important roads have necessarily
been left out of the county system. and
people living along these highways will
laturallyzsfeel. that they should have
Deen given consideration. Even those
n little Travelled roads will feel that
hey are being neglected.
However, the roads which were not
elected as county roads will receive
more attention than heretofore. With
!. the county concentrating its money on
the county roads, the township trustees
| will have more money available for the
oliS4 iDauSt cAo IL OSSSSA AonNS w hos
result the blame can be attributed to
the trustees. Likewise, the supervisors
are solely responsible for the county
! roads.
Responsibility Is Fixed.
This feature is one of the most VAL
| liable points in the entire law. No
longer can the supervisors, if they are
SO inclined, lay the blame for poor
I,o and tho latter
in turn accuse the supervisors of re-
sponsibility. The law clearly defines
the duties of each. and If a road is not
kept in good condition st will be easy
to determine where the responsibility
lies.
A state highway commission is
given general supervision over the en-
! tire road system of the state. and their
duties, as we'll as those of the boards
of supervisors and township trustees,
are fully defined in the law. The
measure was approved by Governor
Clarke on April 8, and just six days
later, on April 9, it went into effect
with its publication.
The highway commission shall con-
sist of three members, the new law
says. one of whom shall be the dean OF
the engineering school Of the state col
lege at Ames. Until the other two
members can be elected by popular
vote, the governor is empowered to APP
point them from opposite political par
ties, one for a term of two years and
the other for four years. Their COM
pensation while actually employed Is
! fixed at SO per day, but in no case
shall their annual compensation ex-
coed $1,000.
Should any county fail to designate
county road system. the law en-
| powers the highway commission to
perform this duty, assessing the costs
thereof to the county. In all cases the
F; commissions findings are final.
Permanently Improved Roads.
AS soon as any portions of the road
system are approved by the commits
sion, the engineer is instructed to d.
vide the roads into sections, plainly
marking each section, designating all
bridges, culverts, cuts, grades. drain
age conditions, etc., the law specifying
that such survey and report shall be
on the basis and with the object in
view of the permanent improvement Of
said county roads, both as to bridge.
! culvert. tile and road work"
| The survey and report of each Sec
ton, as soon as approved by the board
| of supervisors, shall be forwarded to
! the highway commission, who Will
consider the survey and recommend
what forms the improvements shall
take. A permanent record Of the COM
missions recommendations must be
preserved by the auditor.
The duty to construct and maintain
all culverts and bridges turnout the
county is imposed upon the board of
supervisors. All culverts having
span Of four feet or less may be CLASH
| fled as road work and paid out Of the
county road funds, while all culverts
over four feet and all bridges are to be
paid out of the bridge fund.
Letting Contracts for Work.
| Several sections of the law are de-
voted to defining the manner in which
contracts for road and bridge work
shall be let by the board Of supervis-
ors. The highway commission may be
! called upon at any time for sample
specifications and contracts. The points
which must be considered. in the con-
struction Of bridges. and the time which
must precede the letting of contracts.
together with considerable technical in
formation of interest only to the Off
Gals in charge, is contained in these
paragraphs:
Section IA Of the new law defines the
duties of the township trustees. For
the information of those who are in
terested in township road work the fol-
lowing excerpts from the law are
given:
At every February meeting, or as
soon thereafter as possible. the town
ship trustees of each township shall
select from it's township road system
the roads to be dragged for the year.
to be known as draggable roads. and
shall employ superintendent Of the
township road system, who shall give
bond for the faithful performance of his