404 RUIx'AL MICJIIGAN 



hers, elected at the autumnal elections in the even- 

 numbered years, directs the county road system, which 

 is financed by the county supervisors with State aid 

 Acting only as an "administrative board/' the county 

 road commission appoints a superintendent, or engi- 

 neer, who is in direct charge of the highway work 

 which the commission has undertaken. The com- 

 mission adopts as part of the county system such 

 roads within the county outside of c^ies and vil- 

 lages as it may determine, and also roads within 

 municipalities by agreement therewith. The tax for 

 the county road is voted by the board of supervisors. 

 The State assists highway construction and main- 

 tenance through grants in aid to road districts, as 

 just described, based on the character and dimen- 

 sions of the road, and itself constructs and main- 

 tains what are designated "state trunk-line high- 

 ways," which are main through routes within the 

 State, charging a portion of the cost to the counties 

 traversed in accordance with a schedule in the case 

 of federal aided roads based on the relation between 

 trunk-line mileage and assessed valuation. This 

 work is financed through the State's moiety of the 

 tax on automobiles, the general property tax levied 

 by the legislature, the sale of bonds, and the State's 

 quota of the federal grant in aid of highway con- 

 struction. The State Highway Commissioner and 

 his corps of experts, with whom are associated an 

 advisory board, administers the State Highway De- 

 partment, Avliich prepares plans and specifications, 

 determines the amount and recipients of State aid, 



