Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1916-10-04
the BUILDING, OF
OUR COUNTRY ROADS
Much Confusion SEQ to Exist as to
whose Duty It Is 9uild Our
Public Roads In We >shiek
DISTINCTION BETWEEN xNUNTY
AND TOWNSHIP rADs
County R0ad System Inelndes N,
Tfavelcd Roads Connecting
Principal Market
Places.

There seems to be considerable
misunderstanding. throughout the
county, as to whom the duty Of build
ing and maintaining our public roads
belong.
( Each citizen of the county should
feel 1t his duty to take deep inter-
est and pride in the upkeep Of the
public highwaya and this not from
purely selfish standpoint, but for,
the betterment Of the travelling pub
lie throughout the county.
Fortunately it was not left to the
people in general to say. how, when,
and where the public highways
should be worked, but to a few.
namely: the Board of Supervisors,
and the Township Trustees. county
and township business representa-
tives. The duties of these represen-
tatives in working and caring for the
public highways are similar and yet
there is a distinct division as to
where and what highways each shall
maintain, and this division line or
Road-Law was enacted by the Thir-
ty-Fifth General Assembly in 1913,
with later revisiOns.
1t IS the idea of this article to call
the attention Of the people to various
sections Of this road law, and paxtic-
ulariy the distinction between tho
County Road System and the Town
ship Road System. ,,s ,,f lss .si:
Under the Provision Sector
1527-ss 8 1919 the law states: .'Tho
! highways now designa4ed - county
ysa1s BY the plans ana fecgrus lew
qn 11e II the County Andilss1 6I1Dce
cf each county. and al county hith.
Mays from time to time added there
70, shall be known asEstAe s:ctunty
road system- N NJ other highwAgSEsn
the conntN shall he Known saa neths
township road system 1 4
This county road system includes
the main travelled roads in the coun-
W, connects the principal market
places Of each county. and is so ar
ranged as to connect with the
county road systems of adjoining
counties. The county road system
was designed to include from ten to
fifteen per cent Of the total mileage
OF each county. Winneshiek County
has 212 miles of county road. I'm
der former statutes of the state, the
money received by the board of su-
pervisors for road and bridge WORK
was divided into numerous funas
with the express prohibition upon
using the money of any one fund for
ary other purpose than that express
ly authorized. Recent road legisla.
tion. however has sought to avoid
this cumbersome and impracticable
system by dividing all moneys re-
ceived by the Board OF Supervisors
for road and bridge purposes into
three principal divisions, that is: 1.
The County Road Cash Fund; 2. The
County Motor Vehicle Road Fund
3. The Countyi Bridge. Fund. The
county road cash fund, made up of
revenues received from several sour
ces. can be paid out only on the or
der of the Board of Supervisors. This
tund can be used for the purpose OF
purchasing tools. machinery and
equipment, or for tile and tiling. or
for filling on iculyert and bridge ap-
Nroaches. or for work done upon the
county road system, or for the elm
ination OF dangers at railroad eros
sings ON both county and township
roads. wi@ftll0Ati8 8N g
The county motor vehicle road
fund can only be expended for
lcrowning, draining, dragging or
gravel OF public highways outside
the limits of cities and towns or for
the building of permanent culverts
upon such highways. ~
The county bridge fund can be us
ed for the construction and repair OF
bridges and culverts throughout the
county, outside cities Of the first
class. In this connection. attention
is called to the provision OF Section
l527-rls s 1915, under which the
board is authorized to purchase or
condemn land for hiyhwav nurncse
es and to pay tor same in whole or
ip part out OF the bridge fund. Tenn
Yorary culverts purchased by the
board for use upon the township road
skptem must also be Spaid fcF, Qus y
county bridge fund, bdt epuah.
At cglverts may be paid Tor out of
elthse these se0unty 1tidet FUND az fks
lQo1tinue1 ~ Ut pxno.l .