The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-09-08
IMPORTANT TO FARMERS
And Others Having Property
Along Our Public Highways.
To all County Judges and
COODty EnUinaorS

To all County Judges and
County Engineers.
Dear Sirs:-
Your attention is respectfully called
to the following portion of Section As,
Chapter 50 of the Acts of 1914
He (the County Road Engineer) shall
cause noxious weeds growing by the
bounds of public roads to be cut down
in the month of August" Weeds are
unsightly in appearance, unhealthy. and
scatter their seeds to adjoining farms
unless cut down at the proper time. and
if permitted to stand during the summer
months they fall and clog the drainage
bitches and cause the roads to become
muddy and Impassable during the win
ter.
Weeds should be cut, piled and burn
ed, and also the underbruSh trimmed up
SO as 10 permit the free access Of sun
| light, and air to the roads. The farmer
who assists you in this work is not only
! doing good service for the roads but is
protecting his land against being seeded
from noxious weeds that grow on the
right of way.
Recently observed on the Queen &
Crescent Railroad that most of the right
of way was covered with sweet clover.
1t occurred to me that if the farmer
would plant sweet clover along the un
travelled portion of the right of way,
that its spreading to the farms would
not be Objectionable and would cause
the land to become richer and would
choke out the noXious weeds and form a
very slightly covering for the sides of the
cuts and fills of the roadway. However,
the sweet clover, If planted should be
cared for in such a manner as to not
permit it TO fall in the bitches in the
early fall.
Your attention is also called to Sec
tions 53 and 81 of Chapter S0~regarding
the obstruction caused by telephone and
telegraph poles being in bitches and ito
other distractions that are caused by
fences, buildings, etc, encroaching
on right of way, and your authority to
have them removed.
Section So gives you authority to have
them removed and charged to land own
er or persons to whom the, property be-
longs.
Section 81 makes it penalty for dead
ening trees along the right of way and
letting it stand even though it be upon
the land of an abutting property owner.
Section 66 and 81 gives the County
Engineer the right TO drain the roads on
to abutting property.
Section 6S requires County Engineers
to see that suitable shade trees are
planted along the roads. This l notice
is being agitated through the press by
people who are not advised as TO the
legal authority of the County Road En-
gineer in causing trees TO be planted be-
cause of the inactivity of the County En-
gineer in performing this duty.
Section 60 gives the County Engineer
authority over the trees now existing on
the right of way; and Section 20 gives
the Engineer authority TO maintain water
in troughs along the road.
ISection ~ gives the County Engineer
the right 10 open drains across private
drives and maintain said drains and
OtueIW IWlse OHdilse IHe ubIduCeol pIlNdtS
drives so as to not damage the highway.
These are few of the duties that your
attention is respectfully called TO with
the hope that you viii ask your local
papers TO assist you in carrying them in.
TO full force and effect, as sentiment
throughout the State should not be local,
but general. You are, therefore. Ie-
getting these sections of the splendid
road law before the public and in carry
ing them into full force and effect
Yours truly.
Robert G. Terrell,
Commissioner of Public Roads.