PUBLIC EOAD MILEAGE AND KEVENUES, 1914. 15 



under the supervision of the State engineer and surveyor at the 

 expense of the towns. This method proved a failui'e, as the mainte- 

 nance of various sections of a road depended on the wealth of the 

 towns in which they were located and also on the efficiency of the 

 respective town officials. 



By the laws of 1913 the highway department was reorganized 

 under a single head in Heu of the commission which had included 

 other State officers as members. The State commissioner of high- 

 ways is appointed by the governor, by and with the advice and con- 

 sent of the senate, for a term of 5 years. He has general supervision 

 of all highways and bridges which are constructed, improved, oi' 

 maintained in whole or in part by State money. His salary is fixed 

 by the governor at not to exceed $10,000 per anmun. He appoints 

 three deputies, a secretary, nine division engineers, and aU necessary 

 assistant engineers and clerks. 



The organization of the department is as follows: Commissioner, 

 first deputy commissioner, second deputy commissioner, and third 

 deputy commissioner, secretary, and auditor. 



The law makes the commissioner responsible for aU expenditures 

 of the department and the proper execution of each contract. The 

 State is divided into nine divisions, each under a division engineer in 

 charge of the construction and maintenance of such road work as 

 comes under the supervision of the State highway department. The 

 highway department has under its supervision over 79,000 miles of 

 road. 



The highway improvement bonds were authorized in two amounts 

 of $50,000,000 each in 1906 and 1912, respectively. The term of 

 these bonds is 50 years. Of the $100,000,000 authorized, $65,000,000 

 have been sold. The amount derived from the sale of State bonds 

 is fixed by the legislature. For the year 1914, $10,000,000 worth of 

 State bonds were sold. 



There are two classes of funds used for highway work. One is de- 

 posited with the State treasurer and is subject to the comptroller's 

 check; the other is deposited with the county treasurer. The former, 

 known as the highway improvement fund, is obtained from the sale 

 of highway improvement bonds and the latter, called the general 

 fund, is appropriated from the revenues of the State. 



The highways of New York State are grouped in four classes, as 

 follows : State highways , county highways, comity roads, and town high- 

 ways. The State and county highways together constitute the State 

 system, and the town highways belong to the class of local roads which 

 are aided and supervised by the State. The State has no supervision 

 over county roads. State highways are those built at the sole 

 expense of the State. They consist of about 3,800 miles of road on 

 45 routes prescribed by the legislature. The construction of these 



