wagon roads. This amendment must be passed by the next Legislature and then submitted to the popular vote before it becomes effective.

North Carolina. Representative A. S. Dockery secured the enactment of an object lesson road law which provides that the board of county commissioners in any county may build a public road from their courthouse to a distance not exceeding 3 miles. In order to meet the expense of building these roads they have the right to expend any money in the county treasury not otherwise appropriated, and if they have no unappropriated funds they may build the roads by pledging the credit of the county and levying a special tax on the property to pay for the same, provided that the amount shall be charged to the township through which the roads are run, and that the tax shall be levied on such township, the tax levy not to exceed 1 mill on $1 and 30 cents on the poll. North Carolina also has a highway commission established two years ago composed of the state geologist and the commissioner of agriculture. Its duties are to collect and disseminate information and report to the Legislature.

North Dakota. Senator R. W. Main introduced and secured the passage of a bill amending the county road law, which now provides that in counties not organized into civil townships the board of county commissioners may contract to expend all moneys levied and collected under the provisions of section 1229 as amended, amounting to 5 mills for road purposes in addition to the tax of 1 mill in counties having a population of 5000 or more, thus doing away with the old method of having the work done by the supervisors. It also repeals the provision that the road fund can only be expended on petition of persons owning taxable property affected.

Pennsylvania. State aid bills were introduced by Senators Mason, Grim, Webster, Roberts and Spraul, and Representatives Ober, Pomeroy, Ulrich, Ware, Wood, Cooper and Morrison. The bills of Senators Spraul and Roberts were combined and became a law. It provides for appointment of a state highway commissioner who must be a practical engineer; his duties are to collect information and compile statistics concerning the character and condition of highways, to investigate and determine on the character of roads best suited to different sections, to furnish information to the various township, borough and city road and street officials, to receive petitions and to decide on the construction of roads under the provisions of the act. $6,500,000 is appropriated to be apportioned among the different counties in proportion to the mileage of roads in each county, and to be expended during a period of six years. Two thirds of the cost of building the roads is paid by the state, one sixth by the county and one sixth by the townships which the highway traverses. One half of the expense of making repairs to state roads is to be paid by the state, and the balance by the county and townships in which the road is located.

Rhode Island. Senator Walsh and Representative William I. Frost secured the passage of a resolution appropriating $100,000 for the construction, maintenance and improvement of highways under the direction of the State Board of Public Roads, which was created by the preceding Legislature.

South Carolina. Representative E. H. Aull introduced a bill, which was continued to the next session, the chief provision of which is that the governor be authorized to appoint two good roads commissioners in each county who may order a special election to decide on bonding the county for the permanent improvement of its highways to an amount not exceeding $200,000 or 8% of the assessed valuation of the county, the fund so raised to be expended under the direction of the commissioners. Representative C. S. Ford secured the passage of a bill permitting counties to work convicts with 10 year sentences on the chain gang; hitherto the counties had been restricted to convicts with five year sentences.

Texas. Representatives I. M. Standifer and G. R. Fowler introduced bills providing for the employment of short term convicts on public roads, and the former also introduced a bill providing for the permanent improvement of roads connecting county seats. These three bills were merged into one, which passed the

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House and would have passed the Senate but for lack of time. Senator J. J. Faulk introduced a state aid bill providing for a state road tax of fo mill on $1, which would have afforded a revenue of $600,000, but as it appeared that such an act would be unconstitutional the bill was withdrawn and a joint resolution was introduced by Senator Faulk providing for the submission of a constitutional amendment to permit a state tax for this purpose to an amount not to exceed 14 mills. This also failed of passage as did a similar resolution introduced by Representative Terrell of McLennan in the special session. An act was passed, however, permitting counties to bond themselves for improving and maintaining public roads and for purchasing and constructing bridges.

Vermont. Revision of the road law in 1898 provided for a state highway commission which has supervision through the town commissioners of the expenditure of all moneys appropriated by the state for highway improvements. The law also provides for a state tax for general highway improvement, which is redistributed to the towns on the basis of mileage. The towns are required to use their apportionment of state aid in permanent road work, but before they receive the apportionment from the state they have first to expend a sum at least equal to their apportionment to the satisfaction of the state highway commissioner. The 5% state tax provided for by law yielded during 1901 $88,621, and during 1902, $89,507.

Virginia. Delegates Charles T. Lassiter and George E. Murrell introduced a bill (based on the road law of Mecklenburg county, N. C.) providing for the establishment of a state highway commission and for the employment of convicts on the public roads, but withdrew it in order to throw their strength to the Rice and Edmonson bills. The bill introduced by Delegate H. C. Rice provided for the establishment of a state highway commission for which $6000 was to be appropriated; it was defeated by a close vote, the delegates from the cities and nearly all important towns voting for it. Maj. H. A. Edmonson introduced a bill providing for the employment of convicts on the highways and empowering counties to issue road bonds, but it was defeated in the Senate. Representative Gold introduced a bill authorizing boards of supervisors of the counties to issue bonds to a limited amount for highway improvements, but this also failed of passage.

Washington. Representative Ferguson secured the enactment of a law of which the principal provisions are that for highway and bridge purposes a poll tax of $2 and an ad valorem tax, to be levied by the county commissioners, of not more than 4 mills for general county work and not more than 10 mills for district work shall be paid in cash; that counties, exclusive of incorporated cities and towns, shall be divided into not more than four road districts, for each of which a supervisor may be appointed, who may make improvements and repairs costing less than $150; that all construction, improvement and repair costing more than $150 shall be let by contract; and that all road work shall be under the supervision of the county surveyor. Another bill provided for the appointment of a state highway commissioner and appropriated $100,000 for certain state roads. This bill was passed but was vetoed by the governor on the ground that the state was not ready for the building of state roads.

Wisconsin. Senator J. J. McGillivray introduced a joint resolution providing for a constitutional amendment to permit state aid for highway improvement. This was defeated as was also his bill making it compulsory on county boards to levy a 1 mill tax for the construction of roads.

University of the State of New York

New York State Library

REVIEW OF LEGISLATΙΟΝ 1903

LEGISLATION BULLETIN 22x

CLASSIFICATION OF LEGISLATION

This is a full list of the headings used in the Digest of Gov ernors Messages and the Summary and Index of Legislation, together with a subject index. The headings and notation will be continued unchanged from year to year except for insertion of new headings necessitated by new subjects of legislation. From the index the user of the legislation bulletins will readily find the numbers of the headings, and can then turn to the governors' recommendations and laws of 1903 or succeeding years. The notation corresponds to the consecutive numbering of headings in our card index of legislation 1890 to date.

11 Revision and compilation

12 Statutes declared unconstitutional

By highest court of state or of United States. Entries under this head are duplicated under the specific subject of the law declared unconstitutional.

13 Uniform laws See also 464, Negotiable instruments

14 Comparative legislation

15

CONSTITUTIONAL LAW