county treasurer on warrant, audited by the court, and drawn on the treasurer signed by the president and clerk of the court. The clerk of said court shall be entitled to fifteen cents per hundred words for any copy of the records, papers and documents pertaining to his office to be paid by the person obtaining the same, and fifty cents for each certificate attached thereto to be paid in like manner.

Sec. 14. All warrants drawn on the county treasury, by order of the court, shall be signed by the president of the court, and by the clerk, dated and stating for what and on what fund and account, the same is drawn; and the clerk shall keep a record of all warrants ordered, issued and signed and for what and in whose favor.

Sec. 15. No member of said court shall be interested in, vote or sit in any matter or proceeding in which he is, by the present law disqualified or when he is related within the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity to any attorney interested or employed therein by any party thereto; and all claims shall be filed with the clerk of said court for one full week before it can be audited by said court, except for services of the officers thereof and election expenses.

Sec. 16. The court shall regularly, properly, and adequately, provide for and require all county buildings, the county court house and county jail, to be kept sanitary, in safe and proper repair, properly heated and lighted and adequate, in all respects, and may direct the clerk of the court to make weekly inspections thereof, and make reports thereof in writing to the court of any failure in any respect in that regard, and such suggestions as he may deem proper in the premises relating thereto.

Sec. 17. The officers of the board of revenue for said county, who may be in office at the time this act goes into effect shall constitute such respective officers of this said court, if qualified under this act upon filing oath and bond as provided herein within ten days from the approval of this act as a condition precedent, and shall hold office, in such event, until their successors are elected and qualified as provided for in this act.

Sec. 18. That on the first Saturday after the expiration of sixty days from the approval of this act, an election shall be held in Covington county, to be held and provided for in all respects and carried out as general elections, for the purpose of electing officers for said court, whose terms of office shall begin on the election and qualification under this act, and until their successors are elected and qualified at the general election in

1916; and county officers for said county, shall perform the same duties, and in conformity to the law, as to such special electon, its details and the results thereof, as is required under the general laws of this State as to elections.

Sec. 19. That all laws and parts of laws, in conflict herewith are hereby repealed and abolished in so far as relates to the county of Covington.

Became a law under section 125 of the Constitution.

No. 112.)

(H. 569-Smith of Geneva.

AN ACT

For the relief of D. G. Roach, tax assessor of Geneva county, Alabama.

Whereas, the court house of Geneva county, Alabama, was wholly destroyed by fire during the month of February, 1911; and

Whereas, the records of assessment made by D. G. Roach, as tax assessor of said county, were also destroyed, thus necessitating a re-assessment of the property by the said D. G. Roach at great expense to himself.

Now, therefore Be it enacted by the Legislature of Alabama: 1. That the commissioners of Geneva county be, and they are hereby authorized and required to issue to D. G. Roach a warrant on the treasury of Geneva county, Alabama, in his favor in such sum as said court may determine just, right and proper, not exceeding one thousand ($1,000.00) dollars for reimbursement and compensation in the matter of the loss of the assessment records by reason of the fire which destroyed the court house of Geneva county, Alabama, in February, 1911.

2. Be it further enacted, That before any warrant provided by this act is issued, the said D. G. Roach shall file with the court of county commissioners a statement of extra expense incurred by him in the matter of making said re-assessment, which statement shall be sworn to, and the warrant issued shall be based upon such statement and shall not exceed the sum of one thousand ($1,000.00) dollars.

Approved April 30, 1915.

No. 114.)

AN ACT

(H. 626-Kyser.

To create a highway commission for Monroe county, Alabama, and to define its powers and duties; to provide for the appointment, term of office and compensation of the commissioners; to provide for a special tax levy, road tax and vehicle tax for the purpose of obtaining revenue to aid the commission in carrying out its work; to authorize the commission to work county and municipal convicts of said county on the public roads of said county; to provide a method of obtaining rights of way and road materials for public roads in said county where owners of lands and commission cannot agree upon compensation therefor, and to provide that all male inhabitants of said county over eighteen and under fifty years of age shall be required to work on the public roads of said county for ten days in each year or pay a road tax in lieu thereof.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of Alabama:

Section 1. That a highway commission be and is hereby created and established for Monroe county, Alabama; that said commission shall be composed of three members, who shall be appointed by the Governor for the terms of years as follows: One for a term of two years, one for a term of four years and one for a term of six years, or until their successors are appointed and qualified, and as their several terms shall expire the appointments shall be for a term of four years for each. One of the members of the commission shall be appointed chairman. Should a vacancy occur in said commission by death, resignation, or otherwise the same shall be filled by appointment by the Governor of Alabama. Said commission shall have a common seal and the members thereof shall have the power to administer oaths.

Sec. 2. That the compensation of the members of said commission shall be five dollars for each day they are actually engaged in the performance of the duties of their office; and in addition thereto their actual expenses necessarily incurred in the discharge of their duties, but the members of said commission shall not charge or collect for more than one hundred days in any one year; that the members of said commission shall be paid by the chairman of said commission out of the funds under the control of said commission as provided in this act; that they shall be paid upon warrants drawn by the chairman of said commission and countersigned by its secretary; that said warrants for such compensation shall be issued upon itemized accounts as sworn to by members claiming the same, and shall specify whether it is for per diem compensation or for actual expenses incurred in the discharge of their duties; and in case

it is both, then the amount of per diem compensation and the amount of expense shall be shown separately.

Sec. 3. That the said commission shall have charge of all roads and highways in Monroe county, Alabama, including the streets connecting roads on different sides of incorporated towns, but shall have no jurisdiction over other streets in incorporated cites or towns; and shall be charged with the duty of making, building, changing, improving and maintaining all public roads, culverts and bridges in Monroe county, and in abolishing, establishing and opening new public roads; that the said commission in the name of and for the county of Monroe shall make any and all contracts, and shall have and is hereby given exclusive power and authority to make any and all contracts to build, grade, work and improve, open and abolish, repair or change, any and all public roads, culverts and bridges in Monroe county. That all contracts to do and perform any work and labor upon the public roads culverts or bridges of Monroe county, shall be awarded and given to the lowest responsible bidder at public lettings, provided the amount of work to be done shall not be less than five hundred dollars in value, in which case if the commission is of the opinion that it is best, they may let any work under the value of said amount at private letting. It is further provided that the commission may reject all bids or they may reject the bid of any contractor who is inexperienced or incompetent or who is known to have a bad record in the performance of public work.

Sec. 4. That said commission shall in all cases require of the contractor a bond payable to the county of Monroe with good and sufficient surety in an amount not less than twentyfive per cent of the estimated value of the work to be done, and conditioned for the faithful performance of the contract. That no contract for the building, grading, improving or repairing public roads, culverts or bridges in Monroe county shall be binding upon the county, or subject to payment out of any funds belonging to the county, unless it shall contain stipulations stating in detail the building, grading, improving or repairing and the method of doing same, the time within which the work shall be complete, and such other stipulations as the commission may see fit to insert. That it shall be provided in said contract also that at least ten per centum of the contracted price shall be retained until the work is completed and accepted by the commission as being completed in accordance with the contract. That all contracts for building, grading, improving or repairing pub

lic roads, culverts and bridges in Monroe county, shall be made with reference to and embracing section three and four of this act.

Sec. 5. That the said commission shall be provided with suitable office room at the court house of Monroe county or elsewhere in the town of Monroeville, if more expedient, which office shall be under the charge of a county highway engineer hereinafter provided for and shall be kept open at such times as the business or convenience of the highway department and the interest of the public shall require. That such office shall be properly furnished, and shall be the repository for all records of the county highway department. That the said highway commission shall hold regular meetings at such time as they may deem essential to the proper carrying out of the provisions of this act.

Sec. 6. That the said commission shall elect or appoint a civil engineer who shall be known as the county highway engineer, and who shall be experienced and skilled in highway construction and maintenance, who shall hold his office subject to said commission, and shall be paid not exceeding twentyfour hundred dollars per annum, payable monthly out of the funds of the commission as other payments are made. That said highway engineer shall before entering upon the duties of his office subscribe to and execute an oath of office and be put under a bond of three thousand dollars with sufficient surety to be approved by the chairman of said commission, conditioned upon the faithful performance of his official duties; the premium on said bond shall be paid out of the funds under the control of said commission; said bond shall be recorded in the minutes of the commission. The said county highway engineer shall be secretary of said commission and shall keep full and accurate minutes of the meetings and all things done at such meetings of the commission in a well bound record book, and shall also transcribe in full and in detail every account or debt paid by said highway commission, and all warrants drawn for any debt to be paid by said commission shall state the name of the person in whose favor the warrant is drawn, the amount thereof and the items of the account for which it is drawn, which shall be duplicated on the stub of said warrant, and the chairman of said commission, after approving in writing as hereinbefore provided, the warrant, shall pay the same. That when not actually being used by the commission the book of warrants and all stubs thereof, with the book of minutes, shall