of the contract. Any such contract shall be allowed to the lowest bidder, after advertisement once a week, for three successive weeks, in a newspaper published in the county. The bids for such work shall be opened in public and shall be filed in the office of the clerk of the board of supervisors. No such contract shall be awarded until the form and sufficiency of execution thereof shall have been approved by the board of supervisors. The person to whom such contract is awarded shall execute a bond to the county, in a sum equal to fifty per centum of the amount of the contract, with two or more sureties to be approved by the board of supervisors, conditioned for the faithful compliance with the terms of the contract and the plans and specifications and for the payment of all damages which may accrue to the county because of a violation thereof. Not more than ninety per centum of the contract price shall be paid before the completion of the work and its acceptance by the board of supervisors. The amounts due from time to time on the contract shall be paid out of moneys available therefor under the provisions of the preceding section. Payments upon such contracts, or for any other item of construction, maintenance or repair of such bridges, shall be made by the county treasurer upon certificates or warrants issued by the county superintendent, approved by the board of supervisors and the county comptroller. 269-1. Reconstruction and repairs after condemnation. Upon receiving notice of the condemnation of a bridge wholly within the county, the chairman of the board of supervisors shall call a meeting of the board, and such board shall appropriate and make immediately available the necessary moneys for the immediate rebuilding of such bridge. If the expense thereof shall not have been included in an estimate furnished by the county engineer in his annual statement, or as adopted by the board, or if there be no moneys in the county treasury available therefor, the board. may cause the county treasurer to borrow on the credit of the county the moneys necessary to repair or rebuild the part so condemned, in the manner provided in section two hundred and sixtynine-g. As soon as moneys are available therefor, the county engineer under the direction of the board of supervisors shall proceed with the repairing or rebuilding of such condemned bridge. § 269-j. Bridges upon county boundaries. If the board of supervisors of a county described in section two hundred and sixtynine-a and of an adjoining county, across whose boundaries any such bridge is located, shall by resolution concur in determining upon the construction or repair of such bridge, the respective board of supervisors of such counties may unite in a contract with a person, firm or corporation therefor. If any such bridge shall have been condemned under the provisions of this article and if such boards of supervisors shall fail to concur in ordering the necessary repairs to or rebuilding of such bridge within three months after the condemnation, or if within the same time after a demand therefor by the state commissioner of highways the board of supervisors of either county shall fail to make available the necessary moneys therefor, or if the board of supervisors of either county shall determine that such improvements or repairs are necessary, and if both counties fail to concur therein, the board. of supervisors of the county making such determination may submit the same to the state commissioner of highways. If such determination be approved by such commissioner, the board of supervisors making such determination may cause notice in writing to be served upon the chairman of the board of supervisors of the other county demanding that such county concur therein. If such concurrence be withheld or if necessary moneys be not made available for such work by the board of supervisors of the county upon which such demand is served, the board of supervisors giving such notice may provide the necessary moneys for the entire work of such improvement or repairs. Where one county has provided all of the money for the construction or improvement of such joint bridge, it may maintain an action against the county in default and recover from the defendant one-half of the cost or expense of such work, with costs of the action and interest. It shall be necessary to a recovery for the plaintiff to prove that the repairs or improvements were reasonably necessary; but the approval of the state commissioner of highways of plaintiff's determination for such improvement or repairs shall be prima facie evidence of the reasonable necessity therefor. No such action for the expense of the construction of a new bridge at a new site between counties shall be maintained unless the boards of supervisors of both counties shall have determined, by concurrent resolution, upon the construction thereof. The board of supervisors and the lawful authorities of an adjoining city of the first class or of an adjoining village may likewise concur in determining upon the construction, improvement or repair of a bridge between such county and city and may unite in a contract with a person, firm or corporation therefor. Whole of article 9-a added by L. 1917, ch. 589. 272. Appendages for rope ferries. 273. Superintendent of public works may lease right of passage. $270. Licenses. The county court in each of the counties of this state or the city court of a city, may grant licenses for keeping ferries in their respective counties and cities, to such persons as the court may deem proper, for a term not exceeding five years. No license shall be granted to a person, other than the owner of the land through which that part of the highway adjoining to the ferry shall run, unless the owner is not a suitable person or shall neglect to apply after being served with eight days' written notice from such person of the time and place at which he will apply for such license, or having obtained such license, shall neglect to comply with the conditions of the license or maintain the ferry. Every license shall be entered in the book of minutes of the court by the clerk; and a certified copy thereof shall be delivered to the person licensed. When the waters over which any ferry may be used shall divide two counties or cities, or a county and city, a license obtained in either of the counties. or cities shall be sufficient to authorize transportation of persons, goods, wares and merchandise, to and from either side of such waters. § 271. Undertaking. Every person applying for such license shall, before the same is granted, execute and file with the clerk of the court his undertaking with one or more sureties, approved by the court, to the effect that he will attend such ferry with sufficient and safe boats and other implements, and so many men to work the same as shall be necessary during the several hours in each day, and at such rates as the court shall direct. 8272. Appendages for rope ferries. Any person licensed to keep a ferry may, with the written consent of the town superintendent of the town where such ferry may be, erect and maintain within the limits of the highway, at such point as shall be designated in such consent, a post or posts, with all necessary braces and appendages for a rope ferry. § 273. Superintendent of public works may lease right of passage. The superintendent of public works, may, where ferries are now maintained at tide-water, lease the right of passage for foot passengers across state lands adjoining tide-water for a period not exceeding ten years, on such conditions as he may deem advantageous to the state. § 274. When schedules to be posted. Every person licensed to operate or control any ferry in this state, or between this state and any other state, operating from or to a city of fifty thousand inhabitants or over, shall post in a conspicuous and accessible position outside and adjacent to each entrance to such ferry, and in at least four accessible places, in plain view of the passengers upon each of the boats used on such ferry, a schedule plainly printed in the English language of the rates of ferriage charges thereon, and authorized by law to be charged for ferriage over such ferry. If any such person shall fail to comply with the provisions of this section, or shall post a false schedule, he shall forfeit the sum of fifty dollars for each day's neglect or refusal to post such schedule or any of them, to be recovered by any person who shall sue therefor in any court of competent jurisdiction. ARTICLE XI. Motor Vehicles. (Entire article added by L. 1910, ch. 374.) Section 280. Application of article. 281. Definitions. 282. Registration of motor vehicles; age of operator; fees; renewals. 282-a. Auto trucks and trailers in excess of twenty-five thousand pounds. 283. Distinctive number; form of number plates. 284. Registration by manufacturers and dealers; re-registration. 284-a. Limited use of dealers' number plates by vendee. 285. Exemption of nonresident owners. 286. Signaling and other devices; signals; rules of the road. 286-a. Transparently illuminated rear plates. 287. Speed permitted. 288. Local ordinances prohibited. 289. License of chauffeurs; renewals. 290. Punishment for violation; procedure. 290-a. Suspension and revocation of a license of operator or chauffeur. 290-b. Certificate by magistrate. 291. Disposition of registration fees; fines and penalties. 292. Rates of toll on motor vehicles. 293. Acts repealed. § 280. Application of article. Except as herein otherwise expressly provided, this article shall be exclusively controlling: 1. Upon the registration, numbering and regulation of motor vehicles and the licensing and regulation of chauffeurs and operators; 2. On their use of the public highways, and 3. On the accessories used upon motor vehicles and their incidents and the speed of motor vehicles upon the public highways; 4. On the punishment for the violation of any of the provisions of this article. Amended by L. 1917, ch. 769. 281. Definitions. The term "motor vehicle " as used in this article, except where otherwise expressly provided, shall include all vehicles propelled by any power other than muscular power, except motor bicycles, motor cycles, traction engines, road rollers, fire wagons and engines, police patrol wagons, ambulances and such vehicles as run only upon rails or tracks. The term "local authorities" shall include all officers of counties, cities, boroughs, towns or villages, as well as all boards, committees and other public officials of such counties, cities, boroughs, towns or villages. The term "chauffeur" shall mean any person operating or driving a motor vehicle, as an employee or for hire. The term "operator" shall mean any person, other than a chauffeur, who operates a motor vehicle in a county wholly included in a city. The term "state" as used in this article, except where otherwise expressly provided, shall also include the territories and the federal districts of the United States. The term "owner" shall also include any person, firm, association or corporation renting a motor vehicle or having the exclusive use thereof, under a lease or otherwise, for a period greater than thirty days. The term "public highway" shall include any highway, county road, state road, public street, avenue, alley, park, parkway or public place in any county, city, borough, town or village, except any speedway which may have been or may be expressly set apart by law for the exclusive use of horses and light carriages. The term "omnibus," as used in this article, shall include any motor vehicle held and used for the transportation of passengers for hire. Amended by L. 1911, ch. 491, L. 1917, ch. 2 and L. 1917, ch. 769. 282. Registration of motor vehicles; age of operator; fees; renewals. 1. Registration by owners. Every owner of a motor vehicle |