Chap. 421.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 23 of an act entitled an
act to license and regulate the running of automobiles, locomobiles, and
other vehicles and conveyances, whose motive power is ofher than animal
power, along and over public highways of this State; to provide fur the
registration of the same; to provide uniform rules regulating the use
and speed thereof, and to prescribe penalties for the violation of said
rules and regulations and for the licensing of chauffeurs, and to repeal an
uct entitled an act to regulate the running of automobiles, locomobiles
and other vehicles and conveyances, whose motive power is other than
unimals, along and over the public highways of this State; to provide
for the registration of the sume; to provide uniform rules regulating
the use and speed thereof, and to prescribe for the violation of said
rules, approved March 17, 1910; and further, to provide for licensing
dealers and garages and for running motor vehicles for hire, and to
prescribe penalties for violations or this act; and to further provide for
the payment of fees collected under this act into the State treasury, and
the expenditure of same in the maintenance and construction of State
aid roads and bridges, as amended and re-enacted by an act approved
March 24, 1916. [Hi B 32]

Approved Mareh 27, 1918.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
section twenty-three of an act entitled an act to license and regulate
the running of automobiles, locomobiles, and other vehicles and con-
veyances, whose motive power is other than animal power, along and
over public highways of this State; to provide for the registration
of the same; to provide uniform rules regulating the use and speed
thereof, and to prescribe penalties for the violation of said rules and
regulations and for the licensing of chauffeurs, and to repeal an act
entitled an act to regulate the running of automobiles, locomobiles
and other vehicles and conveyances, whose motive power is other
than animals, along and over the public highways of this State;
to provide for the registration of the same; to provide uniform
rules regulating the use and speed thereof, and to prescribe for the
violation of said rules, approved March seventeenth, nineteen hun-
dred and ten; and further, to provide for licensing dealers and
garages and for running motor vehicles for hire, and to prescribe
penalties for violations of this act. And to further provide for the
payment of fees collected under this act into the State treasury, and
the expenditure of same in the maintenance and construction of
State roads and bridges, as amended and re-enacted by an act ap-
proved March twenty-fourth, nineteen hundred and sixteen, be
amended and re-enacted as follows:

Section 23. All fees collected under the provisions of this act
shall be paid into the State treasury, except that the secretary of the
Commonwealth shall deduct the necessary expenses incident to the
cost of purchasing number plates and mailing the same, and the
expense of necessary clerical assistance. This fund, except as may
be otherwise provided, shall constitute a special fund to be ex-
pended under the direction of the State highway commissioner for
the maintenance of roads and bridges constructed with Federal or
State aid, or with the proceeds of county and magisterial district
bond issues, which have been or may be expended under the super-
vision of the State highway commissioner. The State highway com-
missioner shall first set aside from this fund each year an amount
sufficient to maintain such roads embraced within “the State high-
way system,” as may now, or shall hereafter be, in the opinion of
the State highway commissioner, 1n maintainable condition, but this
shall not apply to toll roads so long as toll gates are maintained
thereon. Payments for maintenance of work on “the State highway
system” shall be made by warrants drawn on the auditor of public
accounts, by the State highway commissioner.

The remainder of said fund shall be expended according to the
provisions of an act approved February twenty-fifth, nineteen hun-
dred and eight, entitled an act to provide for State money aid in
addition to convict labor for the improvement of public roads, except
that the same shall be applicable to the maintenance of the roads of
all counties of the State, whether constructed with convict labor or
not, and whether constructed with State aid or the proceeds of bond
issues or districts or counties, which have been expended under the
supervision of the State highway commissioner; and _ provided.
further, that the State highway commissioner shall prepare, each
year, estimates of the cost of such maintenance, and submit the same,
together with the necessary specifications or outline for doing the
work to the local road authorities of the county. The local road
authorities may let the same to contract to the lowest responsible
bidder, or may undertake the same with county or district forces.
but the expense thereof, of which the State is to bear its propor-
tion, shall not in such case exceed fifty per centum of the amount of
the estimated cost, as made by such commissioner. Partial payments
shall be made to the county from time to time as the work is ap-
proved by the State highway commissioner.