336 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



operation of individual camps was furnished to the highway depart- 

 ments of Tennessee and Oklahoma. 



At the close of the year cooperative arrangements were being made 

 with highway officials in the States of Georgia, Kentucky. New 

 Jersey, and North Carolina for the collection of data relating to the 

 cost of employing convict road labor in those States. 



ECONOMIC STUDIES OF POST ROADS. 



Studies of the economic effect of the improvement of the 17 post- 

 roads built under the $500,000 Post Office appropriation act of 

 August 24, 1912, were continued. Final studies have been made on 

 12 of the roads. The final report, as directed by Congress, should be 

 completed before the close of the calendar year. 



TRAFFIC AND ECONOMIC STUDIES. 



The traffic studies in the 8 selected counties which have been con- 

 tinued throughout the past 5 years while the roads were being im- 

 proved under the expenditure of large bond issues were completed. 

 A bulletin covering the results of these investigations will be pub- 

 lished. 



At the request of the county commissioners in St. Louis County, 

 Mo., which in February. 1916, voted a $3,000,000 bond issue, an ex- 

 tensive study of the traffic conditions was made in that county in 

 order to assist the local engineers in the selection of the proper road 

 system to be improved and types of surfacing best suited to the traffic 

 requirements. Actual traffic counts were taken for one week at 21 

 different points. 



ADDRESSES, LECTURES, AND PAPERS. 



In its advisory work, under this division, the office cooperated with 

 the highway department of Tennessee by the assignment of an engi- 

 neer to aid in the installation of the necessary system of records and 

 reports incident to the establishment of the new State highway de- 

 partment. Advices and assistance were given in connection with the 

 preparation of bills for the establishment of State highway depart- 

 ments in Florida. Mississippi, and Georgia and with regard to a State 

 bond issue for road improvement in Louisiana. Other advisory work 

 in connection with county organization and management also was 

 given. 



During the year 655 lectures and addresses were delivered in 46 

 States by 64 representatives of the office, as compared with 410 lectures 

 in 1915. The total attendance was 92,610, an average of 142 at each 

 lecture. These lectures were given mostly at farmers' meetings, road 

 conventions, and gatherings of civic and scientific organizations. 

 Seventy-eight papers were read and lectures given in 23 States at 

 colleges and universities and before road schools held at universities 

 and colleges. These road schools were attended largely by local road 

 officials and afforded excellent means of conveying helpful informa- 

 tion to such officials. 



MODELS AND EXHIBITS. 



Exhibits consisting of models and enlarged photographs illus- 

 trating the best methods of road, bridge, and culvert construction, 

 road drainage, maintenance, repair, roadside treatment, road build- 

 ing, equipment, machinery, etc., have been made at expositions, con- 

 gresses, conventions, and fairs. 



