368 ANNUAL EEPOETS OF DEPAETMENT OF AGEICULTUBE. 



departments, an economic highway survey, involving complete map 

 and text information, was planned, and through cooperation with the 

 State Roads Commission of Maryland an actual field survey was be- 

 gun in that State. Cooperation was established with the Corps of 

 Engineers of the United States Anny, with the committee of military 

 research of the Council of National Defense, and with the Post 

 Office Department. The results of the survey have been gratifying 

 and have proved to be not only of great economic value but of de- 

 cided benefit to the War Department. Details of this work are 

 deemed to have a confidential value and will, therefore, not be set 

 forth in this report. 



GENERAL ECONOMIC AND STATISTICAL WORK. 



The results of the 1914 census relating to mileage of improved and 

 unimproved roads, taxation, revenues, and bond issues were pub- 

 lished in a series of five bulletins. The first investigation of this 

 kind was made for the year 1904 and the second for 1909. As an 

 indication of the progress of road work in the various States this 

 road census has proved very valuable, and it is planned to repeat it 

 every fifth year. Data collected showed 257,291.54 miles of surfaced 

 road in 1914 as against 153,530.40 miles in 1904, an increase of 

 93,761.14 miles in the 10-year period, and a total expenditure of 

 $240,263,784.46 upon roads 'in 1914, as a-gainst $79,023,616.33 in 1904, 

 an increase of $160,640,168.13 for the 10-year period. 



Current data was collected and published relating especially to 

 State highway mileage and expenditures, to automobile registrations, 

 and to the disposition of revenues derived therefrom. In connec- 

 tion with this Avork a State index is maintained for ready reference 

 showing the annual progress of State road work in each State. 



ECONOMIC STUDIES OF STATE HIGHWAY SYSTEMS. 



The State highway studies were continued during the year. The 

 object of these is to ascertain the character, organization, and duties 

 of State highway departments; the class of roads to which the aid 

 of the State is extended; the character, cost, and extent of the work 

 done; the methods of procedure in construction and maintenance 

 of State and State-aid roads and bridges; the system of reports and 

 records; and the sources, amounts, and disposition of State funds 

 applied to roads. The completion of this investigation has been 

 delayed on account of the fact that new legislation has been enacted 

 recently in most all of the States, necessitating the organization of 

 new departments in some States and in others changes in the organi- 

 zation and procedure in order that the States might avail themselves 

 of Federal aid. The results will be published in a series of bulletins, 

 the first of which, dealing with organization and procedure, is in 

 course of preparation. Each important phase of the subject will 

 be treated in a separate publication. 



ECONOMIC STUDIES OF COUNTY AND TOWNSHIP SYSTEMS. 



About 100 counties and townships have been selected in A'arious 

 parts of the United States in which studies are being made to ascer- 



