ROAD MILEAGE, EEVENUES, SOUTHERN STATES, 1914. 21 



ation of all property not exempt from taxation, the proceeds to be 

 credited to the State road fund and apportioned among the several 

 comities of the State in proportion to the road taxes collected therein, 

 no comity to receive in any one year more than 2 per cent of the 

 amomit collected for the State road fmad. Under this new law, a 

 system of pubUc State highways was created to consist of roads 

 connecting the county seats of the various counties of the State, 

 which roads are to be the first to receive State aid. 



The commissioner of public roads has general supervision over 

 all public roads and bridges being constructed, improved or main- 

 tained in whole or in part by the aid of State money, and he pre- 

 scribes rules and regulations fixing the duties of county road en- 

 gineers and their employees in respect to the roads and bridges 

 composing the system of pubhc State highways and determines 

 the method of construction. One-half of the cost of State-aid road 

 work is to be paid by the State and the counties, respectively. The 

 fiscal court has the plans, specifications, and estimates prepared 

 and submits them to the commissioner of public roads for his ap- 

 proval. After such approval the fiscal court may let the work to 

 contract, after due advertisement, the contract to be approved by 

 the commissioner. After the contract is awarded, the commis- 

 sioner of pubhc roads appoints an inspector to inspect the work re- 

 quired to be done thereunder. The salary of the inspector is paid 

 out of the smn apportioned to the county from the State road fund. 



The fiscal or county courts are vested with the general charge and 

 supervision of the public roads and bridges in their respective coun- 

 ties. The county judge, by and with the consent and approval 

 of the fiscal court, is authorized to appoint a county road engineer 

 who shall be either a reputable civil engineer or have had two years 

 practical experience as a road builder and shall have passed a cred- 

 itable examination by the State commissioner of public roads. The 

 judge of each county court may divide the county into road precincts 

 and appoint an overseer for each precinct. 



The taxes for ordinary road and bridge purposes are imposed by 

 the fiscal courts of the counties under a constitutional limit of 50 

 cents on the $100 for all purposes other than schools. All able- 

 bodied male citizens over 18 and under 50 years of age, not exempt 

 by law, may be required to work on the public roads, either in 

 person or by able-bodied substitute, not exceeding six days each 

 year. An annual poll tax of $1.50 may be levied and the proceeds 

 applied to the maintenance of the public roads of the respective 

 counties. Bonds may be issued for road and bridge purposes by 

 the fiscal coxu"t when so authorized by a majority vote at an election 

 called for that purpose by the county court upon petition of 150 

 legal voters who are freeholders of the county. The amount of such 



