Chap. 136.—An ACT to amend and re-enact, so far as the county of Powhatan
is concerned, an act of the general assembly of Virginia, entitled an act
to provide for working of roads in the counties of Chesterfield, Powhatan
and Goochland, approved March 3d, 1884. (H. B. 121.)

Approved March 19, 1914.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
for the purpose of working and repairing and keeping in order the
public roads and bridges of Powhatan county and for the super-
vision and control of same, there shall be, and is, hereby created for
each of the three magisterial districts of said county a board of
road commissioners, to be composed of the supervisors of such dis-
trict, who shall be the chairman and two resident freeholders, who
shall be qualified voters of the district, to be known as the district
road board.

2. At the February term, nineteen hundred and fourteen, or
thereafter in vacation, the judge of the circuit court of said county
shall appoint two resident freeholders as commissioners of roads
for each magisterial district, who shall be selected as far as practi-
cable from different sections of said district and who shall be quali-
fied voters in the districts for which they are appointed and whose
terms of office shall be for one and two years, respectively. And
annually thereafter the judge of the circuit court for said county
shall appoint one commissioner for each magisterial district whose
term of office shall be for a period of two years. These persons
shall qualify as such road commissioners by appearing before the
clerk of the circuit court of Powhatan county and taking and sub-
scribing the oaths of office prescribed by law and by executing a
bond in the sum of five hundred dollars.

3. The said two commissioners so appointed and qualified for
any magisterial district of said-county, together with the supervisor
of such district shall constitute the district road board for such
district.

4, The said district road commissioners shall examine all roads
and bridges in their district at least twice each year, before the first
Monday in April and September and report fully in writing to the
county road board the condifion of all roads and bridges in their
district. It shall be their duty to have the roads in their district
worked and kept in repair, and as far as practicable all roads shall
be so worked as to be raised or high in the center and sloped each
side to ditches of sufficient width and depth to carry off all surplus
water. They shall see that all causeways, culverts and bridges are
kept in safe condition and shall have repaired the same when neces-
sary, and across each stream where it is needed and practicable a
sufficient bridge, bench or log shall be placed for the accommoda-
tion of foot travelers, and at the intersection of all public roads
they shall have erected proper signs for the guidance of travelers.
They shall see that all roads in their district are of proper width
and kept smooth and free and clear of holes, gullies, falling timber

and other obstructions, and in places where they are not of proper
width, or where obstructions have been placed thereon, or where
the ditches draining said read have been obstructed by filling in
stone, timber or other material, the said commissioners shall give
notice in writing to the person or persons obstructing said roads or
ditches requiring him or them to remove the obstructions, and if
the obstructions are not removed within ten days after the giving
of the said notice said commissioners shall cause the sume to be re-
moved, or where an emergency demands the immediate removal of
any obstruction it shall be the duty of the said commissioners to
have said obstructions promptly removed without giving such
notice, and the said district road board may recover the expenses
incident thereto together with the costs from the person or per-
sons obstructing said roads or ditches by-judgment of a justice of
the peace, and any money so recovered shall be turned into the dis-
trict road fund; and in addition thereto any person or persons
wilfully obstructing said roads or ditches or refusing to remove the
same therefrom upon said notice shall be deemed guilty of a mis-
demeanor and liable to a fine of not less than five nor more than
fifty dollars.

5. All work and repairs not of a permanent character made
upon said roads and bridges shall be done under the supervision of
the district road board cr such member thereof as the said board
may designate, and before any account or claim shall be approved
: for such work. it shall be the duty of the said district road board, or
the member thereof so designated by them. to inspect and examine
said work or repairs, and either accept or reject the same.

6. For the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this act the
said district road boards are hereby authorized and empowered to
work and repair said roads and bridges in such manner and by
such methods as they may deem proper, not inconsistent with this
act, and under such rules and regulations as they from time
to time devise, promulgate and adopt and that are not in conflict
with this act.

7. The said district road boards are authorized and empowered,
out of the district fund for such district, to purchase and keep all
necessary tools, teams, machinery, material and supplies, and em-
ploy competent superintendents, overseers, foremen and other nec-
essary labor by contract or otherwise, and to fix their compensation.

8. All claims and accounts for supplies and materials furnished
to, or work and repairs done for said district road board shall be
itemized in detail and sworn to by the claimant and presented to
said district road board and shall be approved or disapproved by
the said district road board in writing thereon signed by a major-
ity of the said board, and certified to the board of supervisors of
caid county, and if said claim or account is approved by the said
district road board, the said board of supervisors shall issue its
warrant therefor drawn upon the treasurer of the said county and
payable out of tne aistrict road Iund for sucn district; otherwise
the said board of supervisors shall not issue a warrant therefor.

9. And the members of the district road boards shall receive for
their services the sum of two dollars for each day they are actually
employed in the discharge of their duties, provided no member shall
receive more than thirty dollars for services rendered in any one
year.

10. Any person who may by threat, force or otherwise hinder.
delay or prevent or attempt to hinder, delay or prevent the said
district road commissioners, or either of them from the discharge
of his or their duties under this act, shall be guilty of a misde-
meanor and fined not less than twenty nor more than one hundred
dollars or be confined in the county jail not exceeding six months
or both in the discretion of the justice trying the case.

11. And be it further enacted by the general assembly of Vir-
ginia, That for the purpose of building roads and bridges and mak-
ing permanent improvements on the roads and bridges in Powhatan
county, there shall be, and is, hereby created for the said county a
county road board, to be composed of all the district road commis-
sioners in said county, and all the members of the board of suner-
visors of said county. and of which the chairman of the board of
supervisors shall be chairman.

12. There shall be two regular meetings of the said county road
board in each year. at the courthouse of the said countv: one shall
be held on the first Monday in April, and the other shall be held on
the first Monday in September. The said county road board mav
hold other meetings at such times and places as they mav deem
prover, provided that the members of the said county road beard
shall not receive compensation for attendance upon more than five
meetings of said board in any one year. The members of the said
countv road board shall receive a compensation of two dollars ver
diem for attendance upon the meetings of said board, which shall be
paid out of the county road fund.

13. The said county road board shall have general supervision
of all work done upon the roads and bridges of the said county of a
permanent character and of the building and construction of all
roads and bridges, and on the part of the said county shall agree
with the adjoining counties in regard to the erection and mainte-
nance of bridges between said counties. It shall have authority and
it shall be its duty to designate the roads or parts of roads in said
county to be permanently improved and the character of improve-
ment to be made on each road.

14. The said county road board is hereby authorized and em-
powered to make, build and construct said permanent improvements
on the roads and bridges of the said county, in such manner and by
such methods, as it may deem proper, and under such rules, recu-
lations and specifications as it may from time to time prescribe.
promulgate and adopt, that are not in conflict with this act.
15. And fer the purpose of making such permanent improve-
ments the said countv read beard is hereby authorized and empow-
ered, out of the county road fund or any permanent road fund, to
purchase and keep all necessary tools, teams, machinery, supplies
and material, and to employ competent engineers, mechanics, super-
intendents, overseers, foremen and other necessary labor by contract
or otherwise and to fix their salaries.

16. All work of a permanent character made upon said roads
and bridges shall be done under the personal supervision of a mem-
ber of the said county read board. to be designated by the said
board, and before any account or claim shall be approved for such
work it shall be the duty of said member so designated to inspect
and examine said work and either accept or reject the same, and
report to said county road board, and for such service of said mem-
ber, the said county road board may allow such sum as it may deem
proper.

17. All claims and accounts for supplies and materials fur-
nished to or work done for said county road board upon said roads
and bridges in said county shall be itemized in detail and sworn
to by the claimant and presented to the said county road board, and
which shall be approved or disapproved by said county road board
in writing thereon signed by the chairman of the said board and
the member thereof who inspected the said supplies. material or
work and certified to the board of supervisors of said county and
if the said claim or account is so approved the board of supervisors
shall issue its warrant therefor drawn upon the treasurer of said
county and payable out of the county road fund or any permanent
road fund which may be hereafter created or accrue to the credit of
said county.

18. It shall be the duty of the said county road board to appor-
tion among the magisterial districts of said county such sum or
sums, from time to time, out of the county road fund as said county
road board may determine for the best interest of the roads and
bridges in said districts. and which said sum or sums shall be trans-
ferred to the said district road funds and used by the said district
boards as the other district road fund.

19. The clerk of ‘the circuit court of Powhatan county shall
perform the duties of clerk of the county road board and the Com-
monwealth’s attorney of said county shall be the legal adviser of
said county road board with the same duties and powers as are pro-
vided and imposed upon him by law in connection with the board
of supervisors. Said clerk and Commonwealth’s attorney shall re-
ceive for their additional services such sums as the said county road
board may determine right and proper.

20. On account of the inadequate road Jaw now in force in the
county of Powhatan an emergency is declared to exist, and this act
shall be in force from its passage, and all special road laws for the
county of Powhatan heretofore enacted are hereby repealed.