BUREAU OF ROADS AND BRIDGES. 63 



derstanding that the fundamental principle which underlies them 

 all, and which is based on the truest and most far-sighted 

 economy, is " to sacrifice a portion of the resources of the 

 road, or the money raised for roads, to insure the good and 

 judicious employment of the remainder.'''' 



A far better plan, it seems to me, is that suggested in one of 

 the prize essays published by this Board. 



" For the efficient and economical maintenance of the public roads, 

 it is essential that there be a uniform system of management com- 

 mon to the whole State. The first step towards a complete reform 

 of system would be the creation of a State department of roads and 

 bridges, to have general charge of all the roads, to arrange and di- 

 rect the carrying out of the details, and generally to look to the 

 effective working of the system. 



" The chief of the department should be a practical civil engineer, 

 thoroughly conversant with the art of road making. For the pur- 

 l^oses of proper supervision, the State might be divided into dis- 

 tricts, say by counties, and these again into sub-districts, larger or 

 smaller as might be found expedient. 



" There should be a resident engineer or sujierintendent for each 

 district, to have charge and oversight of the roads and bridges 

 within his district, and to be held accountable to the chief of the 

 department. 



" He will ascertain the condition of the roads in his district, de- 

 termine what improvements are to be made and in what order, 

 decide upon the kinds and amount of work to be done, estimate the 

 sums needed to carry it on, and at stated periods report the same, 

 with all the matters pertaining to his office, to the chief of the 

 department. 



"For each sx;b-district there will be required an assistant-engi- 

 neer or road-master, subordinate to the resident of the district, to 

 manage the working details, within the limits assigned. As the 

 improvements progress, these sub-districts may be enlarged and the 

 number of subordinates reduced, so that each and all shall always 

 have work enough to keep them occupied." 



And here, gentlemen, I leave the subject in your hands ; with 

 the suggestion that as I have felt it my duty to call your atten- 

 tion, in the main, to the defects and evils of our present system, 

 it will remain for you to point out its beauties. 



