Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1917-05-03
THE NEW ROAD PATROL LAW

like men.
THE NEW ROAD PATROL LAW
The highway patrol law, passed b.
the last general assembly, is said b.
highway experts to be the best meas
ure for the conservation of highway
ever adopted. Oftmes neglect of fill
and drainage offsets all of the goo,
accomplished by a large expenditur,
of money and energy. Patrolmal
armed with authority can obviat,
much of the disastrous effects drafted
by Senator John w. Foster, of Guth
RE Center. 1t is as follows:
Section /. Boards of supervisor.
shall cause the highways in theil
jurisdiction to be patroled as herein
after provided, and to carry out the
provisions of this act they are here
by empowered ana required to ap
point patrolmen for the county road
system. and fix their compensation
who shall be known as county road
patrolmen and who shall hold their
office during the pleasure OF the
board so appointing them.
Section 2. The road patrolmen
shall give their entire time to road
| "chh AioAi thp VI llit lOdu
working season in the spring until
its close in the fall of the year and
such additional time as the board of
supervisors may direct.
Section 3. Boards of supervisors
shall assign, allot or parcel out to
the county patrolmcn such sections
of road or roads as they can patrol
and properly care fore and it shall
be the duty of the county patrolmen
to go over all the roads in their re-
spective sections at least once each
week, and said patrolmen shall make
extra visits to such roads or bridges
as may be reported in need of atten-
ton.
Section 4. 1t shall be the duty of
the patrolmen herein provided to
drag or cause to be dragged, after
each rain and at such other times as
may be necessary. all the county
roads that lie within their respective
sections, and to remove all trash,
debris or other impediments from
the entrance to slices culverts and
bridges and keep the same and their
outlets open and free from obstruc-
tions. They shall keep the side
bitches along the grade open and
provide said bitches with ample out
lets. They shall remove loose stones
and other impediments from the
beaten track of the highway, fill de-
pressions and keep the roads free
from ruts, water pockets and mud
holes and shall repair approaches to
bridges and culverts and keep the
said approaches smooth and free
from such other duties and comply
with such rules ana regulations as
may be provided by the board of
supervisors.
Section 5. Boards of supervisors
shall provide patroImen with such
tools and equipment as are necessary
to carry out the provisions of this
act and said patrolmen shall receipt
to the board of supervisors therefor.
Said patrolmen shall give bonds for
the faithful performance of their
duties and for the care of tools and
equipment in such sum as the board
of supervisors may direct, which
bond shall be approved by the
board The Iowa Farmer.
How Ii Is Done
The administration of the new law
is entirely in the hands of the
Boards of Supervisors and apportun-
ity will be offorded them to show
what they can do when given free
hand. They appoint the patrolmen.
fix their pay. make rules and can
remove them at pleasure.
If loafer or incompetent is kept
on the job. the Board must shoulder
the blame.
Road patroling is not a new thing.
Such law exists in many states and
the system has been successfully
operated in number of Iowa coun-
ties. Clayton County has been do
ing it thoroughly for two or three
years and here is the way it is
handled in that county
Clayton County Patrol System
All of the maintenance and repair
work and most of che permanent
work of the county. is taken care of
by the patrolmen. Each man is sup
piled by the county with all road
and toofs necessary for
the carrying on of the work. He is
also allowed to hire additional help
at the same rate he is paid. to as
sist to dragging or other work, pro-
viding an order is given by a mem
Der of the Board or Engineer The
road machinery furnished is as fol-
lows:
! wheel scraper
l slip scraper
/ road pillow
l Kelly Road Drag
l Glide, 2-horse Grader
Necessary small road tools. such
as picks, shovels. stone hammers.
etc
The patrolman is under written
to work for the county at
the time and place designated by the
board of supervisors or the engineer. |
He is required to give a bond to in !
sure the care and return of tools |
The average price paid to patrolmen |
is gle cents per man. Al u cents |
per man and team and 10 cents per
each extra horse per hour Extra |
help is paid % cents per man and |
As cents per man and team, per |
hour. The patrolman is authorized |
to hire help for dragging At the
close of the season an inventory of /
all tools. supplies and road material |
IS made and sent to the engineer
The average number of horses |
used on each drag in Clayton |
County last season was three, and |
cost an average of 57h cents per
mile per round trip The average
rost for the state is shown at II |
BIO cents per round trip. The |
ength of sections in Clayton County |
vary from 4 10 II miles In addition |
o maintenance work. the patrolman |
has charge of any permanent work.
outside of blade grader work. ri
possible. one or more patrolmen are |
,alled to the assistance of another
IN any work of considerable size.
md the patrolmen have sometimes