No. 6. DlilI'Ah'TMENT OF AG RrCULTUKIO. 66:5 



The basing of (he apportiounicut upon the mmibci' ol' milvs of 

 township roads in each county is eminently just and fair, Imt il lias 

 been a heiculeau task to obtain the reports of the mileage. In near- 

 ly all of the counties there was absolutely no record showing 

 whether there were five or five hundred miles of roads in a townshij). 

 The county with but five townships and the smallest number of miles 

 of township roads is the only county that has failed to make a proper 

 return of mileage as required by the law. 



Section 23 of the road law provides as follows: 



"All highw^ays improved under the provisions of this act shall re- 

 quire the construction of a macadamized road, or a telford or other 

 stone road, or a road constructed of gravel, cinder, oyster shells, or 

 other good materials, in such manner that the same, of whatever ma- 

 terial constructed, will, with reasonable repairs thereto, at all 

 seasons of the year be firm, smooth and convenient for travel. The 

 county commissioners shall have the authority to select the kind 

 of materials to be used in improving any road under the provisions 

 of this act. Any difference of opinion that may arise between the 

 countv commissioners and the tow^nshiu road authorities, as to the 

 kind of a road to be built, shall "be decided by the State Highw^ay 

 Commissioner. The State Highway Commissioner shall furnish to 

 the county commissioners and township road authorities informa- 

 tion as to the probable cost of improved highways, as defined in this 

 section." 



The cost of constructing macadamized roads as above provided 

 for will vary according to localities and the proximity of good ma 

 terial out of which to construct them. In some sections of the 

 State good material for road construction is exceedingly scarce. The 

 qualities required in a good road stone are hardness, toughness and 

 ability to resist the action of the weather, and these are not always 

 found together in the same stone. 



Limestone possesses another quality; that of furnishing a mortar 

 or cement-like detritus which binds the stone together and enables 

 it to wear better tlian a harder material that does not bind. For 

 moderate iralllc the harder limestones are sufficiently durable and 

 make tlie smoothest and pleasantest roads. For heavy traffic the 

 best materials are trap, basalts, greenstones and cyanite. Roads 

 constructed of these materials will cost from one to two dollars per 

 running foot, according to the width of road bed, amount of grading 

 and the convenience with which material can be obtained. The cost 

 per lineal foot of one of the roads for which a contract is ready to 

 be signed is one dollar and fifty cents (11.50) and for another one 

 dollar (11.00). 



Within a short time the present road law has been designated as 

 a "gold brick," and a ''snare" to the farmer. This sort of an as- 



