Report of State Highway Engineer. 57 



verts ; and to Norborne, to investigate draining a road through low 

 grounds. A survey has been made and when time permits, I shall 

 make an estimate and draw plans and specifications for bridging 

 the Current river at Van Buren. 



There is considerable unfinished work on hand, and where it 

 has been necessary to have assistants, I have employed them. The 

 cost of this assistance to date amounts to $83.35, which I have 

 submitted, with receipts, in my expense account. Until such time 

 as a deputy is required, this method can be used with less expense 

 than the employment of a regular assistant. 



As I now view the situation the engineer must, for the pres- 

 ent, devote his time to organizing counties under the new road 

 laws ; systemizing road work, making and maintaining earth roads 

 and constructing permanent culverts of stone masonry or concrete. 

 It is in this way that we must prepare for, or lead up to, a hard 

 surface on the main roads. All the encouragement and assistance 

 possible should be given to making rock roads, but by far the 

 greater part of the State is not ready for them. 



The work has been of such nature as to keep me away from 

 the office, leaving practically no time for the preparation of pub- 

 lication. It is my intention to prepare a bulletin of instructions to 

 the county engineers. This bulletin will call attention to wrong 

 ways now used on working the roads, and will contain general 

 plans and remarks for the care of earth roads. It will contain 

 drawing and plans for concrete and stone masonry culverts, with 

 general items of approximate cost. It will set out and define some 

 of the new road laws, the benefit assessment law, the enactments 

 governing the State road fund and the county highway engineer, 

 with his duties and his relation to the county court. The main 

 feature, however, will be the development of the earth road with 

 permanent culverts and bridges. 



I advise the establishment of a road laboratory in conjunction 

 with the University Engineering College. The approximate cost 

 of this will be $800.00. The Board of Agriculture through the 

 road department could pay one-half the cost, or $400. The labor- 

 atory is a necessary adjunct to the University in the establishment 

 of a course in road engineering. Aside from the benefits to be 

 derived from training boys in road work, we will then be prepared 

 to test road material from different parts of the State. 



Some inducement is necessary to stimulate action toward the 

 more liberal application of rock as a road surfacing. 



In a great many places to quarry and crush the rock, in whole 



