The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-03-22
Annual Meeting of Road Overseers

The annual meeting of road over
seers was held in the circuit court
room last Friday, by call of County
Highway Engineer Thos. H. Holman.
Most of the Road Overseers were in
attendance at the meeting, and they
were an intelligent and earnest ap-
pearing body of men, all seeming to
be in great earnestness in finding out
what are their exact duties in the
correct performance of the work that
devolves upon them. 1t was apparent
that each and every one of them will
put forth every possible effort to ac-
complish the best possible results in
road Improvement in their respective
districts, with the money tn.!t is avail
able for that purpose. 1t is not far
fetched conclusion that splendid road
work will be done by the Road Over
seers of st. Francois county during
the present year.
Section 1861 of the Missouri Road
Laws, providing for such annual meet
ing, reads as follows: 1t shall be the
duty of the county highway engineer
to call a meeting at the county seat
each year of all road overseers of the
county, for consultation and confer
ence touching the conditions and needs
of the roads and bridges of the county
and methods of improving same. Such
meeting shall be held at time desig-
mated by the highway engineer, be-
tween the first and fifteenth day of
March. At such meeting Of road ov-
erseers the county highway engineer
shall instruct the ovcrscers in the
best and most economical plans for
the working and improving roads,
collecting and expending the district
road funds, and, if practicable, adopt
a uniform system of road work for the
county. Any road overseer failing to
attend such annual meeting without
reasonable excuse shall, upon COM
plant of the county highway engineer,
be removed from Office by the county
court or by the township board, as the
case may be-"
To one unacguainted with the real
existing conditions, it soon became ap-
parent that County Highway Engi-
neer Holman is the right man in the
right place ,as he demonstrated COM
plete and perfect knowledge of all the
various road problems that could pos
sibly come up in this county; no mat
ter what the question propounded,
"Tom" Holman was ready with COM
plete and thorough solution, showing
that he had given the question of how
to handle the roads to get the best and
most enduring results, thorough and
conscientious study. That the over
seers derived much valuable informa-
ton from his practical suggestions on
1 how their work should be handled, was
evident from their absorbed attention
from the beginning to the close of the
meeting, which remained in session
several hours. This fact alone was
sufficient evidence to The Times that
splendid road work may be confident
ly expected this year.
Just before the close of the meet
! ing, and before the distribution of sup
plies to the overseers, Deputy County
Clerk Carl Trauernicht read off the
number of the different road districts,
together with the name and address of
the overseer, as well as the amount of
money available for their work at the
present time. Besides the apportion-
ments made at that time, there will
also be another apportionment of road
money soon. Added to this will be the
poll tax to be collected in the various
districts. While these funds are too
much restricted in many of the dis
tricts to please ardent good-road ad-
vocates, The Times believes that the
present overseers will make the funds
allotted to them go as far as it is
possible in improving and repairing
the roads. Following are the names
of the different overseers, their ad-
dress, and their present apportion.
ment of road money: