OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR. 405 



for mail transportation. Project agreements and certificates of 

 approval of plans, specifications, and estimates drafted by the Office 

 of Public Eoads and Rural Engineering for 218 projects, including 

 13 for which project statements were approved during the previous 

 fiscal year, w^ere examined as to their legal form and sufficiency, 

 and subsequently as to whether they were properly executed. These 

 agreements involved a total estimated expenditure of $14,239,939.15, 

 and Federal aid aggregating $5,658,458.42. Project statements re- 

 viewed, but for which project agreements had not yet been executed 

 at the close of the vear, involved a total estimated expenditure of 

 $28,038,831.23. and "Federal aid to 'the amount of $10,391,363.32. 

 Modifications of agreements were similarly reviewed in 11 cases. 

 The projects for which project agreements were entered into and 

 project statements approved during the vear represent an aggregate 

 estimated cost of $42,278,770.38 and Federal aid to the extent of 

 $16,049,821.74, the total road mileage being 6,249.3965. Also 49 orig- 

 inal and supplementary cooperative agreements, under section 8 of 

 the act relating to roads and trails within national forests, were 

 examined as to legal form and sufficiency. 



Statutes of 10 States assenting to the provisions of the act were 

 reviewed to determine whether they meet the requirements of the act. 

 The legislation of two States was reconsidered for the purpose of 

 determining definitely whether they had State highway departments 

 when the act was passed. The first regular session of the Legislature 

 of Mississippi held after the passage of the act having adjourned 

 without assenting to its provisions, the legislation of the State was 

 reviewed and the opinion expressed that the State had previously 

 signified its assent by a resolution of its legislature indorsing the act 

 when it was pending before Congress and by a subsequent statute 

 creating a State highway department with power to do, so far as 

 possible under the constitution of Mississippi, the things required 

 by the act. 



Proposed standard plans, specifications, notice to bidders, and con- 

 tract and bond forms for use by a number of the States in carrying 

 out the cooperation contemplated and authorized by the act, which 

 were submitted for consideration bj; the several State highway de- 

 partments, were reviewed as to their legal form and sufficiency. 

 Suggestions as to changes in form and substance were made in sev- 

 eral instances. Similar forms for the use of the department, under 

 section 8 of the act, and also as guides for the States under the post- 

 roads provisions of the act, were likewise reviewed. Forms of reso- 

 lutions to be used by the counties and other civil subdivisions in 

 applying to their respective State highway departments for State and 

 Federal aid, in accordance with the State laws, were drafted for the' 

 convenience of the State highway departments concerned. 



Proposed amendments to the regulations were reviewed as to their 

 legal form and sufficiency, and opinions were rendered on a number 

 of important questions arising under the act. 



A memorandum prepared by the Office of Public Roads and Rural 

 Engineering as a guide for its engineers and the State highway de- 

 partments in the submission of projects was revised to indicate the 

 percentage of nonpost route which might be included in the project 



