Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1914-02-03
THE NEW
ROAD LAW
A GENERAL ROAD ovERSEER
NEEDED
Some Things About the New Road
Law Which is Causing Much
Worry.

The new law passed by the legisla-
ture, which is now in effect, is causing
a great deal of talk among those who
have charge of the road work and the
funds.
The following is an extract from a
letter written to County Judge John
B. Teal by Vine w. Pearce, County
Judge of Yamhill County, asking for
an opinion of the best way to pro-
ceed with the work.
"After careful study of county
form No. 13, Supervisors Monthly
Pay Roll) we are convinced that for
perhaps every county in the state with
the possible exception of Multnomah,
the provision requiring the signature
of each workman to the pay roll,
and the later form of supervisors re-
ceipt book with which he takes re-
ceipt of each laborer for warrent al
lowed by the court, taken together,
are very troublesome and expensive,
and to our minds avail nothing. In
this connection we find that at the
end of the month, after completing
his pay roll, our supervisor must go
out and get the signature of each.
employee before sending same to the
Court. Upon receiving the warrants
covering the pay roll, he must go out
and deliver the warrants to the em-
ployees and take their receipts. Our
laborers are scattered over the dis
tricts and will not work for us if we
require them to loose this time by
going to the supervisor on each oc-
casion; in fact it is getting to be a
serious problem to get sufficient la
bor, under the best conditions we can
offer, to do our work. The getting
of the names on the pay roll and the
delivery Of the warrants, will each re-
quire days time of the SUPERVISOR
and will, therefore cost us $500 per
month for each road district in our
county. We have 80 road districts.
which will make an added expense Of
$4,000 per month, which we should
not have to meet
Judge Teal has been advocating for
some time the appointment of gen
eral road overseer to have charge
over all the roads of the county, all
the road work of the county to be
done by the district overseers under
his directions, which would make
better and more uniform work of
roads in the county, as well as save
to the taxpayer even under the
old law.
Under the new law with its red
tape and monthly report, contract
work and receipts for work, etc, it
becomes almost a necessity to haze a
County Road Overseer, and he should
be a man who has had practical ex-
perience in road building, and man
of good business ability as we'll.
We have no doubt but that Polk
County has such a man, and that he
would under the new law, save the
county a good sum of money.
If the county has no General Road
Overseer all work let on contract will
require the expense of having the
County Surveyor on the job, as well
as requiring the District Overseer to
visit the county seat monthly.
District Attorney Upjohn says that
The appointment of a County Road
Overseer to have charge of all roads
would greatly facilitate the work, and
that in his opinion many of the OBJ
sticles of the new law would be more
easily cared for in this manner
The County Court meets tomorrow
and we suppose that they will go over
his matter very thoroughly and take
such action as will be for the best in-
terest of Polk County. /,