OFFICE OF PCTBLIC ROAD INQUIRIES. 237 



advanced legislative measures for making better roads have been 

 adopted in both the Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, and 

 Texas, and it is safe to in-edict that similar action will be taken in 

 other Southern States at the next sessions of their respective legisla- 

 tures. During the year Professor Holmes has endeavored to collect 

 accurate information concerning the status of the road movement in 

 every county of the States named, and he has thus far brought 

 together such information from more than 1,000 out of a total of about 

 1,200 counties. The results of these inquiries are being tabulated 

 and will appear in a bulletin to be submitted for publication at 

 an early date. The repoi'ts indicate decided progress in both road 

 legislation and practice in many portions of these States. Professor 

 Holmes is also bringing together in a systematic record the names 

 and addresses of a number of the most progressive citizens living in 

 each of tlie counties of the division, and through these i^ersons it is 

 hoped tliat, by means of correspondence and by the distribution of 

 printed matter, much can be done in the way of stimulating and 

 guiding the good-roads movement. 



In addition to a paper on ' ' The use and results of convict labor in 

 road building," for the Yearbook for 1901, the special agent for this 

 livision has now in preparation and will soon submit for publication 

 reports on "Some types of road building in the Southern States " and 

 ' ' The present status of the good-roads movement in the Southern 

 States." 



MIDDLE DIVISION. 



In September, 1900, Hon. J. H. Stout, of Menomonie, Wis., was 

 appointed special agent for the Middle division, and Expert Charles 

 T. Harrison was sent to him as assistant. Owing to the lateness of the 

 season, no outside work was engaged in other than that done at Trav- 

 erse City, Mich., to be referred to later on in this report. Soon after 

 entering upon his work a visit was paid to the county fair at Kewaunee, 

 Wis., where consultations were held on the matter of road improve- 

 ment and an address was delivered. A farmers' institute at Knapp, 

 Wis. , was also attended for the same purpose. 



During the winter months the educational feature of the work was 

 taken up, and visits were made to the agricultural college at St. 

 Anthony Park, Minn. , where several addresses were made to special 

 classes as well as to the students. Frequent conferences were held 

 with county and State school officials relative to arranging for a series 

 of illustrated addresses on road construction in tlie public schools, 

 and this plan will very likely be carried out in the near future. Many 

 requests were made for aid and information throughout the Middle 

 division, but on account of the unseasonable weather and the lack 

 of sufficient funds but little beyond the giving of written or printed 

 information could be done. 



About the middle of April, Road Expert Harrison was called from 

 this division and assigned to the National Good Roadf« Association's 

 train, which he accompanied on its tour of nearly 4,000 miles, during 

 which time he acted as consulting engineer, and delivered addresses 

 at several points where sample roads were built and conventions held. 



ILLINOIS WORK. 



During the months of Septemljer and Octol^er Mr. Howard H. Gross, 

 of Chicago, was employed as special agent and expert for the purpose 



