46 Missouri Agriculiural Report. 



ture. about $310,000 was for culverts (structures less than 10 feet clear 

 span). As you all knoAV. many of these structures are made of timber, 

 and are always dangerous, rotting out, or having to be renewed. Of 

 this $310,000, 41 per cent, was for repairs and maintenance. Any 

 method of culvert construction which costs 41 per cent, of the annual 

 expenditures for repairs, is wrong. The counties cannot spend their 

 road revenue to better advantage than for concrete culverts. We must 

 build more permanent structures with public road funds. 



The State has approximately 110,000 miles of road, 5,000 miles of 

 which may be classed as improved, leaving 105,000 miles of earth roads. 

 This 5,000 miles of improved roads consists of various degrees and man- 

 ner of improvements, many miles of which are poorer than a good earth 

 road w^th good concrete culverts. The term "good roads," is a relative 

 term, and what is considered and reported as an improved road in some 

 sections would be called a very poor road in another. Missouri has a 

 small mileage of modern, first-class, up-to-date roads. All of which again 

 calls to mind the lesson that could be taught with demonstrations and a 

 few sample roads. 



MAINTENANCE OF THE STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT. 



Good roads, in by far the larger part of the State, is a matter of 

 education. It is a question of teaching the people to know good roads, 

 thus creating a desire for them. This is of interest to the State, and is 

 as much a problem for the State as for the community. The State could 

 not spend a few thousand dollars to better advantage than to supply the 

 State Engineer with means to make demonstrations and to build sample 

 roads. 



An annual State license could be placed upon automobiles, the pro- 

 ceeds of which should be used solely for the support of the State High- 

 way Engineer's office. This license could be made sufficient to permit 

 an investigation of road materials and to make demonstrations. It 

 would also put the office upon a l^etter footing. 



STATE AID TO ROAD BUILDING. 



The last Legislature passed a resolution submitting a constitutional 

 amendment for a State road tax of 5 cents on the $100.00 worth of as- 

 sessed valuation. I urge the adoption of this amendment, that through 

 State aid there will be an inducement for the improvement of our road 

 system, a stimulus for the construction of permanent highways, and be- 

 cause it is an equitable plan for road improvement. If some broad pol- 

 icy were definitely adopted whereby the cost of making roads would be 



