Morris tribune., 1914-05-08
STATE SYSTEM OF
ROAD MAINTENANCE
THE ROADS WILL BE
KEPT UP.
State Highway Commission Is
sues Bulletin Explaining the
Road Patrol and Dragging.
Maintenance the Key to Good
Roads.


Highway Commission gives informa-
tion regarding the up keep of state
roads under the new law and should
be read very carefully by all who are
interested in getting results from the
road money expended in Stevens coun-
ty this year.
A resume of the provisions is given
herewith
'Road Patrol System: One man
to be appointed for section of road
from FIVE to seven miles in length and
to be employed continuously from the
opening of the season until the final
freeze-up. This man to be furnished
with shovel, rake, and such other
tools as are necessary and also a
wheelbarrow to cart surfacing mat.
erial to ill up holes, etc. This system
is applicable to macadam and we'll
built gravel roads. The duties of the
patrol will be to keep ruts from form
ing, remove loose stones from road.
way and to keep surface of the road
AL ROOO COuO4SAOh az o4I bAGACSs LAG
will be required to keep all lines of
drainage open and to keep weeds cut
along the road.
Maintenance Section System: The
state roads in county to be divided
by the county broad into sections of
from 2 to 80 miles, which divisions
should be made regardless of COM
missioner's districts and would not
necessarily be one continuous road,
but in case of several state roads
leading out of town the maintenance
section might include portions of two
or more roads. The section should be
placed 10 charge of a foreman, hired
for the season, commencing as soon as
the work can be effectively done in
the spring. This section foreman
should be required to furnish hand
tools and team and wagon every
working day, and the county to furn-
ish him with light grader, a road
drag, slush scraper and plow. The
duty of the maintenance foreman
would be to keep lines of drainage
open and weeds cut and to keep the
surface of road in best possible condi-
tion at all times. The county board
should also authorize the foreman to
enter into agreements with residents
along the road to drag sections of it
after very heavy rains, and also to
employ extra men and teams as the
occasion might require. but with a
limit as to the expenses incurred in
this manner each month. This sy.
: stem is recommended to be adopted
in most cases as it will meet almost
any condition.
Road Drag System: A superinten-
dent to be appointed by the county
board. who shall be given authority
to contract with residents along the
state roads to drag the same after
each rain or whenever orderedby him.
This superintendent to also have
available road grader with authority
to employ an engine or team to oper-
ate the machine when the occasion re-
quires during the season. 1t should
be the duty of the superintendent to
devote all his time to directing the
work of general repair and mainten-
ance and to see that the contracts for
dragging are properly executed. AL
so to see that all lines of drainage are
kept open and arrange for cutting
weeds along the state road. This
system is especially applicable to the
prairie and gumbo sections of the
state.
The assistant engineer employed by
the highway commission as district
engineer for the county will recon-
mend a system to be adopted and upon
determination by the commissioners as
to method of work they will authorize
organization of system and will
place the work under the general sup
ervision of the engineer who will act
for the county board. Monthly re-
ports on forms furnished by the high
way commission must be made to the
engineer by patrols, foreman or super
intendent as the case may De. which
will be compiled and forwarded to the
highway commission for adjustment
of state aid.
Compensation for the different
classes of work will vary in propor-
tion to the cost of labor in the COM
munity. but on basis of So for the
men and 81 for teams reasonable
compensation would be as follows
Fifty dollars a month for section
foreman or drag superintendent, in