Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-01-23
TOWNSHIP ROAD
BUREAU UNDER WAY
Districts Are Filing Reports With
the New Branch of High
way Department


Bigelow has under way the Bureau of
Township Highways of the State High
way Department, organized under the
Jones earth road act, passed by the
1913 Legislature, and to 1t are coming
reports from nearly every one of the
( 1,5OS townships of the second class in
| the State, giving the organization of
the boards of supervisors which will
work in co-opertion with the bureau.
Two meetings of the county super
viSors have been held in accordance
with the provisions of Act 10s and an
| other is announced for February 23,
this being the Bucks county meeting, to
be held at Doylestown. At these meet
/ ings the township supervisors assemble
| to discuss problems of roadmaking and
repair and to hear such instructions
as the State Highway Department has
to transmit regarding their work. AT
/ the two meetings already held-one
at Erie for that county and one at
Reading for Berks county = nearly
/ two-thirds of the supervisors of each
county were present and expressed
great interest in the proceedings. The
| Erie meeting was addressed by First
/ Deputy Highway Commissioner Joseph
/ w. Hunter, who has been recently ap-
| pointed in charge of the Township
| Highway Bureau by Highway Com
missioner +. NJ. Bigelow. The Read
/ ing meeting was addressed by Second
Deputy Highway Commissioner L. A
/ Jones. Mr.. Hunter expects TO attend
I the DoyleStown meeting and is work
ing on a schedule of meetings. to be
held in other counties during the
Spring.
Little is generally understood re-
garding the workings of the earth
road law, or Act No. 440 of the 1918
Legislature. 1t was formed to supple
ment the work of the State Highway
Department as established by the
Sproul act. and under its provisions d
general supervision of the highways
and bridges maintained in whole OIL
in part by aid of State moneys, eX-
cepting State or State-aid highways
is provided for. Each township of the
second class in the State-there are
1.50S of them-elects, at the municipal
election, three supervisors, who meet
with the auditors of their respective
townships on the first Monday in De-
cember and appoint a secretary anc
treasurer This board of supervisor:
is authorized to levy road tax no.
exceeding ten mills. Each township
coming under the provisions of the
act receives annually from the State 81
per cent. of the total amount of roao
tax collected in cash.
An important part of the duties o.
the township supervisors is to divide
the township into two or more roao
districts and employ a superintendent
for the entirestownship or roadmaSterS
for each district. These roadmasterS
are to be paid by the hour, theil
wages being fixed by the township SUI
pervisors.
As is the case under the Sproul act
the State is divided into districts will
a State highway superintendent assign
ed to each district. These State high
way superintendents have genera
charge over all township highways ant
bridges, which they must PERSONAL!
visit and inspect at least once in eacf
year. They must advise and direc
how to repair, maintain and improve
such highways and bridges and, tina
they may be familiar with their du
ties, they must examine the various
formations and deposits of gravel an(
stone in their districts to be used fol
such purpose. Plans, specifications anC
estimates according to standards pre-
pared by the State Highway Depart
ment must be approved by these SUI
perintendents.
One of the most important provis
ions of the township bureau act is tina
IL gives the state highway Depart
ment the authority to furnish plan.
and specifications to townships for new
roads and bridges free of cost to tht
township. If a township is desirous o
improving a certain road by correct
ing the grade, building news bridges
and culverts and putting up-to date
surface on the road, the Bureau o.
Township Highways will make tht
necessary surveys and draw up th'
plans and specifications free of al
cost All blank forms and books nee
essary for the transaction of the town
shin supervisors business are fur
nished by the bureau without cost t
the township.
Deputy Highway Commissions
Hunter has drawn up the following
set of tentative rules for the transac
tion of the business of the bureau, anC
they will be sent to the various boards
of townships supervisors in the neal
future.