Report of Shilc Highway Engineer. 43 



these old roads or trails which opened Missouri to settlement. Their 

 traditions and history should be preserved, and much of the information 

 concerning them will soon be lost if not collected and preserved. 



State Aid — There is no question but that our roads have gradually 

 improved with the development of the country, but they are not im- 

 proving as rapidly as conditions warrant or as fast as they should. We 

 are content to work on too cheap a plan. This office has been a constant 

 supporter of )State aid for i-oad inirposes because State aid, in both reve- 

 nue and supervision, is the keg to the solution of the problem State 

 aid expended and controlled through the authority of a State Highway 

 Department will solve the problem, for under this spur and stimulus 

 the districts and counties will provide their share of the cost and all 

 the other matters will right tliemselves to conform to it. From my ex- 

 perience and observation in road making, I feel free to say that there 

 is no greater stimulus to the improvement of a state 's public road system 

 nor inducement to tlie construction of perm.anent work than State 

 aid. State aid is for the general public welfare. It is the principle 

 which should govern in any improvement for the general good, like the 

 public roads. We cannot succeed with a Chinese wall around each 

 community, each county or each state. The road question is larger 

 and more far-reaching in effect than the community. The public roads 

 are too important a matter to"\vard any state's progress and prosperity 

 to be neglected by the State. 



State Convicts — In former reports I advocated the use of some 

 of the State convicts upon tlie public roads, which advocacy I wish to 

 I'cnew. I do not advocate scattering tlie convicts out along the road, but 

 would keep them confined strictly to quarrying and crushing, leaving 

 the hauling and the work necessary to the completion of the road to be 

 performed by the community for which the road is being made. Road 

 material of average quality is accessible in almost every county of the 

 State, and in a number of counties it can be found within reasonable 

 hauling distance of any road. With concentrated camps of State con- 

 victs to prepare this material for the road and witli a systematic 

 order of (listfil)ution and application for such Avork, much assistance 

 can be given in the form of State aid to road work. 



Earth Boads — It has been my endeavor to give attention to the 

 maintenance of the eartli roads. Over 95 per cent of our roads are earth, 

 and it will be some years before as much as 10 per cent of them will be 

 anything more than that. Hard surfaced roads are too expensive to 

 build and maintain to plan ra[)id progress in their construction. Tlie 

 earth road cannot possibly be made of equal sii|)eriority with the well 



