482 AiyflSrUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTIMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



amount of $38,264,394:.85, and involving 0,122.824: miles of road. In 

 many cases where some part or all of tlie project was not being used 

 as a rural post road and there was not sufficient evidence to establish 

 a reasonable prospect that it would be so used within a reasonable 

 time, it was neccssarj^ to point out in detail the character of addi- 

 tional evidence which should be furnished to establish the eligibility 

 of the project. In some instances elimination of a portion or por- 

 tions of the project was suggested v.here it was impossible to fur- 

 nish sufficient evidence of a reasonable prospect of use for mail trans- 

 portation. 



Project agreements and certificates of approval of plans, specifica- 

 tions, and estimates, prepared by the Bureau of Public Eoads, for 

 505 projects were examined as to their legal form and sufficiency 

 before being transmitted to the State" high vcay departments for ex- 

 ecution, and of these agreements and certificates 453 were subse- 

 quently examined as to the sufficiency of their execution by the 

 State highway departments and were thereupon submitted to the 

 Secretary to be executed by him. These agreements involved a total 

 estimated expenditure of $42,178,903.01 and Federal aid ngijrco-nting 

 $18,273,159.17. 



Drafts of modification's of agreements and certificates, prepared 

 bj' the Bureau of Public Roads, were similarly reviewed in 185 

 cases, and cancelations of agreements in 2 cases. Of the drafts 

 of modifications of agreements so reviewed. 163 were subsequentlj^ 

 examined as to whether they were properly executed by the State 

 highway .departments and were submitted to and executed by the 

 Secretary. 



Statutes of five States, amending former highway statutes, were 

 reviewed to determine whether the}^ met the requirements of the Fed- 

 eral aid road act. 



Proposed standard plans, specifications, and orders to bidders, and 

 contract and bond forms used by a number of the States in carrying 

 out the cooperation contemplated and authorized by the act, which 

 were submitted for consideration bv the several State highway de- 

 partments. Mere reviewed as to their legal form and sufficiency. Sug- 

 gestions as to changes in form and substance were made in several 

 in tances. 



Forms of resolutions to be used by the counties and other civil 

 subdivisions in applying to their respective State highway depart- 

 ments for State and Federal aid in accordance with the State laws 

 were drafted for the convenience of the State highway departments 

 concerned. 



Opinions were rendered on a number of important questions arising 

 under the act. In addition to the above list, GO original agreements 

 and 12 supplemental agreements under section 8 of the act were 

 reviewed both as to form and substance. 



As indicated in the summary of this report, the work of the 

 liureau of Public Eoads and of the Forest Service was materially 

 enlarged by additional appropriations and by the enlargement of 

 the class of roads comprehended in the phrase* "rural post road " as 

 used in the Federal aid road act. 



