Chap. 71.—An ACT to amend and re-enact the title to an act entitled: An
act upon the subject of county roads, causeways, bridges, etc., and , Providing
for the further division of counties into road subdistricts, * etc.,
approved March 17, 1906, and to amend and re-enact sections 2, 13, 15, 16,
-17, 18 and 19 thereof.

Approved February 25, 1908.

Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That the title to
an act entitled “an act upon the subject of county roads, causeways,
bridges, etcetera, and providing for the further division of counties into
road subdistricts; * *” etcetera, approved March seventeenth, nineteen
hundred and six, and to amend and re-enact section two, thriteen, fif-
teen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen and nineteen thereof, be amended and
re-enacted so as to read as follows: An act upon the subject of county
roads, causeways, and bridges, etcetera, and providing for the further
division of counties into road subdivisions; for additional road tax
therein; for election and appointment of officers of same, providing for
their terms of office, powers, duties, etcetra, and duties of the State
highway commissioner, in connection with the carrying into effect of this
act.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, as follows:

2. The board of supervisors of each county throughout the State,
which has not a special road law in force therein, may divide their
respective counties, or part thereof, into road subdistricts, by specified
boundaries so locating such boundaries as to place the residence and
property of those persons who chiefly use the public roads of each road
subdistrict, and are especially interested therein, as far as practicable,
within such road subdistricts, respectively, and having in view also so
dividing the public roads of each county as to place upon tax payers of
each road subdistrict their fair proportion of such roads on the basis
of the comparative expense of maintenance of same, so that no less than
ten nor more than thirty miles of public roads shall be contained in
any one subdistrict. ‘These areas shall be called road subdistricts; they
shall be numbered with cardinal numbers, and their boundaries and
number may be changed from time to time at the discretion of the board
of supervisors. A full record of such road subdistricting shall be kept on
the journal of the board of supervisors.

13. The State highway commissioner, or any agent of his, the mem-
ber of the board of supervisors representing the district in which such
meetings are held, and the superintendent of roads of the county or
his deputy having charge of such district, shall be entitled to be present
at any of said meetings and take part in the discussion of any and all
questions and to give advice and instruction, but shall not be entitled
to vote thereat by virtue of this section.

15. The road surveyor, or surveyors, of each road subdistrict shall
keep the public roads in his subdistrict well trimmed, clear of shade,
clear of loose rock, overhanging trees, from gates unlawfully kept up,
from all other unlawful obstructions and secure from falling or dead
timber; shall keep open proper drains and turn the water from the
road as much as practicable; and shall do such other work upon the
public roads and bridges in his subdistrict as he shall be directed to do
by the board of supervisors of his county and the subdistrict road
meetings, annual or special, of his subdistrict, and in accordance with
the plans and specifications, if any, which may have been made for the
working and keeping in repair the roads and bridges of such subdistrict,
bv the State highway commissioner, and the board of supervisors of
the county-of other authorities, as may be provided by law, either under
contract or by force account, as may be determined by such meetings,
with respect to work to be paid for by the road subdistrict and as may be
determined by the board of supervisors with respect to work to be
paid for by the district road fund; the work directed to be done by the
board of supervisors to be paid for by the county and district road fund,
and the work directed to be done by the road subdistrict meeting to be
paid for by the road fund of the latter; and, to the end of making and
keeping all such roads, which are of clay or soil other than sand, higher
in the centre than on each side and smooth, such road surveyor shall,
either by contract or by force account, as may be determined by the |
board of supervisors, to be paid for by the county and district road
fund, drag all of the roads assigned to him, which are of clay or soil
other than sand, immediately after a thaw and heavy rain, not less than
an average of once per month, with a two-horse team and a drag, or rut
scraper, to be made and operated in accordance with plans and specifi-
cations which will be furnished him on application (which he shall
make) to the State highway commissioner.

16. The chairman and secretary of each road subdistrict and the
road surveyor thereof shall have the following duties and powers, re-
spectively : :

la. The chairman shall call annual and special road district meetings
of his road district as provided by the by-laws thereof and by law.

2a. The chairman and secretary shall examine all claims against
their road subdistrict, and when approved pay the same by warrants
drawn on the subdistrict treasurer, signed by the chairman and counter-
signed by the secretary, payable to the person entitled to recover such
money and stating on its face the purpose or service for which it is paid.
And they, and the surveyors of roads, or either of them, requested so to
do, shall report any matter required by the State highway commissioner
and the board of supervisors of their county, and perform such other
duties as may be prescribed by their road subdistrict meetings, the
board of supervisors of their county, and which may be imposed by law.

17. This act is intended as supplementary to the existing general
road laws, and such other general road laws as may be hereafter enacted,
and shall be interpreted so as to operate in harmony therewith, and it
shall be the duty of the State highway commissioner to make such rules
and regulations, not inconsistent with this act, as may be necessary to
carry into effect the provisions thereof.

18. It shall be the duty of the State highway commissioner to cause to
be made plans and specifications of inexpensive drags or rut scrapers
to consist of the two parts of a split log of timber, suitably fastened
together so as to be parallel to each other a suitable distance apart; or
of oak plank four inches thick and ten inches wide, faced with a cutting
edge of steel or iron and bevelled at the. back with a heavy stick of
timber fastened to back of such plank by means of chains about thirty
inches in length; or two pieces of railroad iron fastened by iron rods;
or of other suitable material and construction, and with specifications
as to operation of same so that the drag, or rut scraper, will not be drawn
ver the roads at right angles thereto, but at an angle of thirty to
forty-five degrees, and such State highway commissioner shall have
printed a sufficient number of such plans and specifications and furnish
each road surveyor elected or appointed under this act with a copy
thereof.
19. Any member of any board of supervisors, treasurer, clerk, State
highway commissioner, road surveyor chairman, treasurer, or clerk of
any road subdistrict failing or refusing to comply with any provision of
this act, shall upon conviction be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and
be punished by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars.’