Chap. 305.—An ACT to authorize the board of supervisors of the county of
Page, Virginia, to borrow the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars, or such
part thereof as they may determine, with which to construct one or two
bridges, as may be agreed upon by said board, over the Shenandoah river in
said county and to issue the bonds of the county therefor.

Approved March 14, 1908.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That the board
of supervisors of Page county, Virginia, be, and they are hereby, author-
ized to borrow the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars with which to
build one or two bridges, as they may elect, over the Shenandoah river
in said county and issue the bonds of the county therefor, in the manner
hereinafter provided.

2. The said board shall have the right and it shall be their duty to
elect, whether they will build one or two bridges, and if they shall elect
to build only one bridge, such bridge shall be built at the White House
in said county; if they elect to build two bridges, one shall be built at
the White House and the other near Alma in said county, both to span
the said Shenandoah river. If they elect to build only one bridge, they
shall borrow only the sum of twelve thousand five hundred dollars, one-
half the amount named in the first section, and if they elect to build
two bridges, they shall borrow the full sum of twenty-five thousand dol-
lars, unless in either case, the amount named shall be more than suffi-
cient to accomplish the work, in which event they shall borrow only such
sum as shall be sufficient to complete the work.

3. Before the said board shall borrow any money under this act, they
shall apply to the judge of the circuit court of said county, either in
term time or vacation, to order an election in said county, and upon
such application being made, the said judge in term or vacation, shall
order an election to be held in said county, to enable the qualified voters
of said county to determine by their votes, whether or not the money
named in said order shall be borrowed by said board and the character
of the bridge or bridges to be built, whether toll or free bridges.

4. The election shall be held by the regular election officers of the
said county and upon the tickets shall be printed the following: “For
bond issue for toll bridge (or bridges, as the case may be). “For bond
issue for free bridge (or bridges, as the case may be). “Against bond
issue.”

All of the citizens of the said county, qualified to vote under the law,
shall have the right to vote at the said election; provided, however, that
said election shall not be held in less than thirty days from the time of
the publication of the order of election; and provided, further, that the
order of election shall be published in both the newspapers published in
said county, each week from the time the order of election shall be made
till the day of election.
5. The poll books and tickets shall be returned to the clerk’s office
of said county and the vote shall be canvassed and the result determined
i required by the general election laws of the State, and filed in said
office.

6. If a majority of the votes cast at said election shall be against the
issue of bonds, no bonds shall be: issued under this act ; if a majority
of the votes cast at said election shall be for bond issue, the bonds
shall be issued for the amount named in the order of election and the
bridge or bridges shall be “toll” or “free” as shall have been decided
by a majority of the votes cast between toll and free bridges.

%. The bonds issued by the said board under this act shall be either
registered or coupon, in denominations of one hundred dollars or
multiples thereof, in such form as said board may prescribe; shall be
signed by the chairman of said board and countersigned by the clerk
thereof, and shall bear a rate of interest not greater than six per
centum per annum, payable annually at the office of the treasurer of
the said county, and said bonds shall be payable, not exceeding twenty
years after date, at said treasurer’s office and may, in the discretion of
said board, be redeemable within that period, and at such time or times
as said board shall prescribe. The said bonds, though of the same
issue, may be made payable at different times, so that they may mature
and become due and payable at different and varying periods, but no
bond issued under this act shall be sold or negotiated at less than its
par value, and said board may, if necessary employ an agent to negotiate
the sale of the said bonds.

8. The said board is hereby given full power to construct the said
bridge or bridges, with reference to the subjects in the foregoing sec-
tions, in such manner as may seem best to them for the public interest
and to carry out the provisions of this act.

9. Tf toll is collectible at said bridge or bridges, the said board shall
employ necessary bridge keepers, who shall give bond and security for
the faithful discharge of their duties, if required by said board. The
said board shall fix the compensation of said bridge keepers and estab-
lish the rates of toll on all animals and vehicles, however propelled, the
maximum rates not to exceed the maximum rates of ferries now charged
at the points where such bridges are built. The chairman of said board
shall settle monthly with the bridge keepers for the tolls collected by
them and pay the same over to the treasurer of the said county, taking
his receipt therefor and filing the same with the clerk of the said board.

10. The said treasurer shall keep a separate account of the funds
acquired from tolls and shall, on the order of said board, pay out of
said funds the salaries of the bridge keepers, the cost of keeping the
bridge or bridges in repair, the interest on the bonds issued under this
act and the residue he shall devote to a sinking fund for the purpose
of paying off and retiring said bonds.

11. Tf toll is collected at said bridge or bridges and the amount real-
ized therefrom, after deducting the sums paid to bridge keepers and
the cost of repairs, be not sufficient to pay the interest on ‘said bonds and
provide a sufficient sinking fund for their ultimate redemption, the
said board shall make up the deficit by a levy upon all the proper sub-
jects of taxation in the county, each year, and if no toll is charged at
said bridge or bridges, the said board shall include in the annual county
levy, a sum sufficient to pay the interest on the bonds issued under this
act and provide a sinking fund for the payment of said bonds as they
shall become due and payable.

12. The said board of supervisors are hereby authorized to acquire
by condemnation proceedings, purchase or gift, all rights and sites neces.
sary for said bridge or bridges, on each side of said river, the expense
to be paid out of the genral county levy.

13. The title to said bridge or bridges and all rights pertaining
thereto, shall be in the said county of Page and the said bridge or
bridges shall be and remain the property of the said county.

14. After said bridge or bridges shall have been paid for and the said
bonds paid off and cancelled, the tolls at said bridge shall be abolished
and no toll exacted.