CHAP. 457.—An ACT for working of the county roads of Essex.
Approved February 29, 1892.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia,
That there shall be a road superintendent for the county
of Essex appointed by acommittee of three, consisting of
county judge, commonwealth’s attorney and county trea-
purer. He shall let out the roads and inspect them, and he
shall be paid two dollars per day for time actually employed,
the same to be paid out of general county road funds.

2. Each magisterial district shall be divided into ten
sections, equal in proportion to the amount of work re-
quired to keep the roads in order, and after duly advertis-
ing by notices posted in prominent places in the neigh-
borhood, each section to be put out by contract to the
lowest responsible bidder for a term of five years, con-
tracts stipulating the character of work to be done, et
cetera, as far as practicable; bond and security to be re-
quired to secure faithful execution of contract.

3. The contractors shall receive as compensation one
dollar and fifty cents per annum from every man in such
precinct subject to road duty or two days’ work from every
such person, the names of such perrons to be furnished
the contractor by county superintendent, and in addi-
tion such compensation in money as may be agreed on, to
be paid quarterly after the roads have been inspected and
approved.

4. Every male citizen of the county between the ages of
sixteen and sixty years to be subject to a tax of one dollar
and fifty cents, which he may pay by working on the road
for two days of ten hours each, between April first and
October first, or two days of eight hours each between
October first and April first, at such times as said con-
tractor may appoint. Ifsuch labor is not performed sat-
isfactorily to the contractor, he will credit such laborer
only by so many hours of work as have been actually per-
formed by him. Laborers to work on roads as near their
residences as possible, and if required to go more than
two miles from their homes to be credited as if at work
that much additional time.

5. The contractor shall call out at one time only as
many hands as he thinks best, and shall have authority
as constable to collect fines for non-attendance where
laborers have been duly summoned.

6. The board of supervisors shall annually levy and fix,
along with the county levy, a tax upon the property, real
and personal, assessed for taxation in the several magis-
terial districts of the county, which shall be applied to
the working, keeping in order and repairing the public
roads and bridges in such districts, and the payment of
salaries and compensation therefor pursuant to the pro-
visions of this act. Such tax shall be not less than five
nor more than fifteen cents upon every one hundred dol-
lars in value of such property, and the same shall be col-
lected, accounted for and paid out upon the warrant of the
board, except that the fund collected from each magiste-
rial district shall be kept separate by the county treasurer,
and a different rate of tax may be prescribed for different
districts in the same county. The amount collected in
each district shall be expended in that district.

7. In event no one contracts for a section, the road
superintendent shall have the money and labor to which
said section is entitled expended economically in such
section.