376 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



tember 1, 1916, for carrying out the provisions of the act. During 

 the fiscal year five such amendments were made. 



During the fiscal year proposed standard plans, specifications, 

 proposal notice, contract, and bond forms submitted by the highway 

 departments of 31: States were reviewed. Where changes in the 

 forms submitted were thought desirable, suggestions for such 

 changes were made to the respective State highway departments. In 

 addition, proposed form of specifications, notice to contractors, con- 

 tract, and bond were prepared jointly by the Office of Public Roads 

 and Rural Engineering and the Forest Service, and reviewed by the 

 Solicitor of the department, for use in connection with forest road 

 construction work under section 8 of the Federal aid road act. 



With a view to greater uniformity in the forms of specifications, 

 notice to contractors, contract, and bond used by the several State 

 highway departments, a proposed standard form was prepared an^l 

 suggested by the Office of Public Roads and Rural Engineering for 

 general adoption by the States, subject to such modifications as might 

 be necessary to adapt them to the statutes and particular requirements 

 of the respective States. 



During the fiscal year questions arose (1) as to what constitutes 

 expenditures within the meaning of the Federal aid road act and (2) 

 as to whether work on Federal aid post-road projects could be com- 

 menced prior to the beginning of a fiscal year upon projects approved 

 prior to that date for payment out of such fiscal year's apportion- 

 ment. 



As to the first question, it was determined that when a project agree- 

 ment is entered into between the Secretary of Agriculture and a State 

 highway department such agreement constitutes an expenditure of 

 the Federal funds thereby set aside and allotted to the project. 



Regarding the second question, it w^as d-etermined that a project 

 statement might be submitted and approved and the project agree- 

 ment therefor entered into prior to the beginning of the fiscal year out 

 of the apportionment for which Federal payments would be made, 

 but that construction work could not commence prior to the beginning 

 of the fiscal year. 



Closely related to the above question was one concerning the distri- 

 bution of balances that may occur in connection with projects, and 

 the elimination of a specific fiscal-year designation from project 

 statements and project agreements. Concerning the latter question, 

 it was determined that any balances that may occur in connection 

 with projects covered by project agreements will accrue to the funds 

 available to the State for the fiscal year within which such balances 

 occur. It was also determined that it was unnecessary to specify any 

 particular fiscal year's apportionment from which the Federal funds 

 allotted to a project should be payable, the purpose being to consider 

 disbursements of the Federal funds in the aggregate instead of by 

 fiscal years. The determination of these questions in the manner indi- 

 cated greatly facilitated the administration of the act. 



Project statements were submitted by all of the 48 States, and plans, 

 specifications, and estimates were submitted by 46 States. At the end 

 of the fiscal year construction work was in progress in 30 States, and 

 such work had been completed and final payments made on 5 projects, 

 having an aggregate mileage of 17.643, costing $347,380.70, and on 



