NEW SYSTEM SUGGESTED. 305 



the greatest public benefit. The people ought to require that 

 these important trusts shall be confided to none but such as are 

 fitted by skill, intelligence, and integrity, for the duties assigned 

 them ; and the laws should be so framed that the money pro- 

 vided for important public purposes shall not find its way into 

 wasteful and incompetent hands. 



Pkoposed System. 



For the efficient and economical maintenance of the public 

 roads, it is essential that there be a uniform system of manage- 

 ment common to the whole State. The first step towards a com- 

 plete reform of system would be the creation of a State depart- 

 ment of roads and bridges, to have general charge of all the 

 roads, to arrange and direct 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 engi- 

 neer, thoroughly conversant with the art of road making. For 

 the purposes of proper supervision, the State might be divided 

 mto districts, say by counties, and these again into sub-districts, 

 larger or smaller as might be found expedient. 



There should be a resident engineer or superintendent 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, 

 determine 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 other matters pertaining to his office, to the chief 

 of the department. 



For each sub-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. 



By some method of this kind the standard of excellence and 

 the manner of treating the roads would be uniform ; any sugges- 

 tions of experience could be taken advantage of ; the use of im- 

 provements in implements and machinery could be everywhere 

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