284 FARM DEVELOPMENT 



which the public is also benefited. Care must be taken, 

 in framing this kind of legislation, to prevent abuses, 

 but it would seem quite right to enable a board of county 

 commissioners to make a contract with a landowner 

 under which he might make a much-needed road, with 

 the understanding that he should be for some specified 

 time exempted from a large portion of his road taxes. 

 Requiring the county board to secure the consent of the 

 state highway officers to legalize such contracts with pri- 

 vate parties would be an ample safeguard. 



Co-operation in road making should be encouraged by 

 the state. Thus the state, the county, the township, the 

 pike district and the individual should all be brought 

 into co-operation. This principle has not been fully 

 recognized by our law makers. A state highway bureau, 

 with even a small amount of money at its command, 

 and with liberty to use this money to help those who are 

 ready to help themselves who are anxious to make 

 roads under the best possible plans does a great deal of 

 good in bringing about co-operation and in developing 

 a far better system of highways. Such a bureau in- 

 duces counties to co-operate better in building intercity 

 railways. It induces the organization of co-operative 

 pike districts, and aids in finding the best materials for 

 making roads and devising the best plans for construc- 

 tion and maintenance. It advises where to get the best 

 road machinery and aids in selecting road engineers, 

 county engineers and superintendents of road main- 

 tenance, capable and honest, who will serve the public 

 well. The office of public roads of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture likewise is of much service, 

 since, with a small fund, it aids in promoting the co- 

 operative construction of the roadways. 



Speaking broadly, there are in the United States 

 2,225,000 miles of public highways. On these there is spent 

 annually approximately $90,000,000, or $i per capita for 



