392 ANNUAL. REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



plans sent to the Department have to be gone over and new surveys 

 and plans made. There is always a controversy as to who shall pay 

 the costs of survey, and in several instances applications are held 

 back by the county commissioners because the supervisors have not 

 had the survey made, while the act distinctly declares that the coun- 

 ty commissioners are to furnish to the "Department an accurate 

 plan of the layout, lines, proiile and established grade of such high- 

 way." 



5th. The office force of the Department should be increased by 

 having an additional clerk or bookkeeper, one who should also be 

 able to operate a typewriter. At least two draftsmen, who should 

 also be civil engineers, should be provided the Department and at 

 least four competent civil engineers who shall have general supervi- 

 sion of road construction. The compensation of these men should be 

 provided for in the act and they should be appointed by the Com- 

 missioner. 



The contingent fund should be large enough to allow the employ- 

 ment of additional assistants, civil engineers or surveyors, when 

 they are required. 



6th. The law relating to the election of supervisors should be so 

 altered or amended to permit of having a board of at least three 

 supervisors in each township. This is to be a continuing board 

 after the first election, one being elected each year. (Hamilton Bill.) 



The time is ripe for making this change; it is demanded from all 

 over the State. In some cases supervisors have made application 

 for road improvements and those who have succeeded them in office 

 have attempted to repudiate the action of their predecessors, caus- 

 ing no end of trouble and annoyance. In some instances the super- 

 visors have refused to act after being petitioned by the owners of a 

 majority of the assessed value of the property in the township. 



The time is rapidly approaching when the work tax in road re- 

 pairs in the various townships will be abolished. Of the |4,500,000 

 levied' and collected for road purposes, one-half is practically wasted 

 or thrown avv'ay. Under the work tax method the township pays 

 one dollar for fifty cents worth of work. 



7th. It should be made a misdemeanor v\ith a heavy fine or im- 

 prisonment, or both, for drivers or owners of teams to maliciously 

 or intentionally destroy roads reconstructed either by townships, 

 county or State, or roads reconstructed jointly by State, county and 

 township, either by the use of rough, ice or drag locks, by plowing a 

 gutter alongside of the macadam with a heavily loaded wagon, or 

 otherwise. 



This is generally done in going down a grade. In some instances 

 team drivers have been known to deliberately drive on the edge of 

 the macadam and tear it up, and when their attention has been call- 

 ed to what they had done they have declared their intention of 

 tearing the road to pieces if possible. Such men should be arrested 

 on the spot and summarily dealth with. 



8th. The wide tire law should be made effective. Narrow tires 

 on heavy wagons are destructive to all roads and should be abol- 

 ished as soon as possible. 



Broad tired wagons help to maintain stone roads'. A penalty 



