OFFICE OF PUBLIC EOADS. 877 



During the year a course of instruction in the identification of 

 inerals 

 students. 



minerals and rocks for road making was given to six civil-engineer 



INSTRUCTION IN HIGHWAY ENGINEERING. 



The office has continued during the year to appoint graduates in 

 civil engineering from the leading engineering institutions of the 

 country to the position of civil engineer student. In order to obtain 

 eligibles the United States 'Civil Service Commission on March 13 

 and 14, 1912, held an examination in various parts of the country. 

 From the register thus established 10 appointments were made and 

 during the year there were 4 resignations. Other resignations from 

 the staff of the office were as follows: 2 highway engineers, 1 bridge 

 engineer, and 1 chemist. 



During the first year that engineer students are connected with 

 the office they are given a thorough training in all branches of 

 highway work, both in the field and in the laboratories, while at the 

 same time their services are fully utilized by the office. At the end 

 of the first year, if the students prove worthy and it is found that 

 the needs of the service justify it, they are promoted to the position 

 of junior highway engineer. At the close of the second year they are 

 eligible for further promotion to the grade of highway engineer, 

 and ultimately to the position of senior highway engineer. 



This project has given excellent results, and the engineers after 

 a few years' training in the office are in demand for State and county 

 work. The practice of permitting engineers to resign is detrimental 

 to the service, as the office is constantly losing some of its best men, 

 but the benefits derived by the various States and counties through 

 the distribution of trained men to all sections of the country are 

 sufficient to vindicate the wisdom of such a policy. 



USCTURES, ADDRESSES, AND PAPERS. 



During the year 1,180 lectures and addresses were delivered in 

 various parts of the United States by 27 representatives of the office. 

 In 1910, 523 lectures were delivered and 723 in 1911. The total 

 attendance this year was 208,472, while in 1911 it was 200,000. Lec- 

 tures are included which were delivered in connection with road- 

 improvement and agricultural trains. The total attendance at the 

 lectures given in connection with the road-improvement trains dur- 

 ing the year amounted to 99,259, exclusive of those delivered on the 

 St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad. 



All of the lectures were of a ^iractical or scientific character and 

 most of them were illustrated with lantern slides. Besides the lec- 

 tures given in connection with road-improvement trains addresses 

 were given at farmers' meetings and road conventions. Several 

 papers were also read at colleges and universities and before scientific 

 organizations and societies. Short lecture courses of highway engi- 

 neering were presented at the University of Idaho and at the Uni- 

 versity of Kentucky. 



The names of the States and the number of lectures given in each 

 are as follows: Alabama. 29; Arkansas, 14; Colorado, 4; Delaware, 

 6; District of Columbia, 2; Florida, 50; Georgia, 82; Idaho, 4; Illi- 



