REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 113 



their road-building qualities. In addition to the routine work of 

 testing material, research work has been carried forward to deter- 

 mine improved methods of testing bituminous materials and the 

 development of the necessary apparatus. 



MAINTENANCE. 



The attention of all highway engineers has been sharply drawn to 

 the imperative need of better maintenance. Conditions brought 

 about by the increased use of our highways under modern traffic 

 have furnished conclusive evidence of the importance of continuous 

 and adequate systems. An experiment in maintenance on earth 

 roads has been in progress in Alexandria County, Va., on 8 miles of 

 road. The system adopted here is the patrol system. The patrol- 

 man is further required to drag the earth road with a split-log drag 

 after each sufficient rain. The results of the work so far indicate 

 that the benefits of such systems can be realized in practice. Detailed 

 information was accumulated as to the proportion of time which it 

 is necessary to devote to the different necessary items of work and 

 the cost of the same. There is a widespread lack of information as 

 to maintenance cost. Considerable work has been done with a view 

 to supplying this need, and it is hoped shortly to issue a bulletin 

 entitled '' Repair and Maintenance of Highways." 



BOND ISSUES. 



More and more counties and townships seem disposed to incur debt 

 for road improvement, and it has accordingly become very common 

 for bond issues to be made in amounts from a few thousand to a 

 million dollars. Bond issues have increased so rapidly that the Office 

 of Public Roads has undertaken an extensive investigation to deter- 

 mine the amounts of bonds issued for road and bridge purposes up to 

 the year 1912. Studies are also under way on the methods of retiring 

 bonds, the condition under which the issue is justified, the best 

 method of financing repair of bond-built roads, and to settle the 

 very serious question of relation between the life of the road and the 

 term of the bond issue. 



LECTURES, EXHIBITS, AND ROAD-IMPROVEMENT TRAINS. 



During the year the office has continued its policy of presenting the 

 proper methods of road building and maintenance by exhibits and 

 lectures. The models of various kinds of road construction which are 

 prepared in this office have proved of extraordinary interest and 

 value to the public. Exhibits of models and enlarged photographs 

 of road subjects have been made in cooperation with various railroads 



70481°— AGR 1912 8 



