J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                      977

other than such notice, and shall further state therein that plans of
the improvements may be inspected at the [commission's] Com-
mission's office and that any person interested in said improvements
will be heard by the [commission] Commission at a time to be spe-
cified in the notice, but not less than ten days after first publica-
tion thereof. If twenty-five residents and landowners in the sanitary
district wherein the improvements are contemplated shall thereupon,
and within ten days after the last of said publications of said notice,
file a petition with the [commission] Commission protesting against
the proposed improvement, the [commission] Commission shall grant
them a hearing within thirty days after such petition is filed in the
office of the [commission] Commission and after not less than five
days notice of the time and place of said hearing by advertisement
published in one newspaper published within such county or counties,
and by personal notices addressed to any one or more persons whose
names are signed to said petition. After due hearing as aforesaid, the
[commission] Commission shall decide upon the reasonableness of
the objections stated in the petition; and shall dispose of the same
by written order concurred in by a majority of the [commissioners]
Commissioners, which order shall be published in the same manner
as notices are herein required to be published and a copy of which
shall be mailed to any one or more of the petitioners. If the petitioners
are not satisfied with the [commission's] Commission's decision they
shall have the right to take and enter, within ten days after the
last publication of said order as aforesaid, an appeal to the governing
body or governing bodies of the county or counties in which lie the
sanitary district or sanitary districts where such improvements are
contemplated who shall review the [commission's] Commission's
decision and decide as to the necessity and propriety of the im-
provement contemplated and whether the [district] District can
stand the cost of the same and the decision of the governing body of
a county or the joint decision of the governing bodies of two or
more counties shall be final. In the event any one governing body shall
decide that such contemplated improvements should not be made in
any sanitary district lying in two or more counties, such contemplated
improvements shall not be made.

657.

For the purpose of paying the interest and principal of the bonds
issued in the name of a district by any said [commission] Commission
as in this sub-title provided for the water or sewerage systems to
be constructed, purchased or established under this sub-title, the
said [commission] Commission is hereby empowered to establish a
proper and reasonable charge, payable to such district, not less than
the actual cost thereof, for connection with said water and sewerage
system so to be constructed, purchased or established as aforesaid,
and to fix an annual assessment, payable to such district on all
properties, improved or unimproved, binding upon a street, road,
lane, alley or right of way in which a water main or sewer has been
built. The said annual assessment shall be made upon the front-foot
basis, and the first payment shall be collected during the year in
which the construction is completed on the water or sewerage sys-
tems, or in which the systems are purchased or acquired. The said
[commission] Commission for the purpose of assessing benefits
shall divide all properties binding upon a street, road, lane, alley or
right of way, in which a water pipe or sanitary sewer is to be laid,