ROADS AND HIGHWAYS.
The LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR announced the special order to be the consideration of Mr. Benz's bill [S. 6] for the election and appointment of Supervisor of highways. [See p. 28 and 78 of the Brevier Reports.]
The majority report recommend amendment of the bill [S. 6] by making the tax in Section 3 not less than five cents nor more than forty cents on the $100. The minority report entirely new matter as a substitute for the bill.
Mr. HENRY offered a substitute for both the majority and minority reports-being new matter from and after the enacting clause. He said there is nothing of so much importance to the farming community as the road law. The present law gives dissatisfaction and there is a demand for a new system for the repair n improvement of roads. The substituted provisions of tho measure now proposed as a substitute are: It does away with the Road Superintendent and with the Road Master: it makes the Trustee ex-officio Road Superintendent of all highways in his Township, who shall divide his Township into road districts not less than six square miles in area, in each of which there is to be elected a Road Supervisor who has charge of the work on the road, under the direction of the Township Trustee, citizens to work out the poll tax similar to the (. Id law for, working out road tax. The Township Trustee shall have control of all the roads so there may be a system of roads. The property tax shall be paid to the Township Trustee to be expended under his direction.
Mr VOYLES, interrupting, suggested that this bill be printed and the subject postponed till after the printing.
Mr. BELL seconded the motion to print.
Mr. GRAHAM thought the explanation of the author would be better than printing the bill.
Mr. HENRY (continuing): The Road Supervisors should expend this road money under the direction of the Township Trustee. The bill permits every taxpayer to work his road tax out, if it is done as cheap as other labor is performed. It makes the Supervisor an officer, requires bond, and subjects him to removal by the Township Trustee for cause. He did not claim this bill as a perfect one but insisted it contains the better provisions of the present and the old law.
page: 98[View Page 98]On motion by Mr BROWN the subject was postponed till Monday next at 2:30 o'clock. The substitute [offered by Mr. Henry] and the bill [S. 126, Mr. Davidson's] were ordered printed-300 copies of the former and 150 of the latter bill.
