ROAD MILEAGE, REVENUES, SOUTHERN STATES, 1914. 27 



miles. AH funds for the building of State roads are provided by 

 State bond issues. The State roads commission is required to main- 

 tain aU State roads and is authorized to adopt such method therefor 

 as it may deem best, and to employ necessary engineers, assistants, 

 and other employees. A State tax of 1 cent on each $100 of taxable 

 property is levied to provide a fund for the maintenance and repair 

 of State roads. This fund is supplemented by 80 per cent of the net 

 revenues derived from the registration and licensing of motor vehicles. 



Provision is made for the granting of State aid to counties. Apph- 

 cation for State aid in the improvement of any roads in a county 

 shall be made by the county board of commissioners to the State 

 roads commission. The commission shall cause necessary surveys, 

 plans, and specifications to be made when such State aid work is 

 approved and undertaken. The work is done by contract let by the 

 county board of commissioners after due advertisement, subject to 

 the approval of the State roads commission. The commission has 

 immediate supervision of work done under contracts. Roads so 

 improved are thereafter county roads and the county is required to 

 maintain them to the satisfaction of the State roads commission, 

 and any county failing to so maintain such roads shall not thereafter 

 receive any State aid. In case of neglect on the part of the county 

 to so maintain such roads, five taxpayers may apply to the circuit 

 court for a writ of mandamus to compel the county commissioners 

 to maintain the road. 



Where State-aid work is undertaken, one-haK of the cost thereof 

 is to be paid by the State and one-half by the county, but no county 

 shall receive in any year a larger proportion of the total amount 

 appropriated for State aid that year than the proportion which the 

 then existing miles of pubhc roads in said county bears to the then 

 existing total mileage of pubhc roads in all counties of the State 

 applying for State aid, imless an unallotted balance remains, in which 

 event, said balance shall be apportioned in the same manner as the 

 original appropriation among the counties which have not received 

 the full amount of State aid for which apphcation has been made. 

 State-aid funds are provided by direct appropriations from the State 

 treasury. 



Jurisdiction over all county road and bridge matters is vested in 

 the respective boards of county commissioners, who appoint road 

 supervisors in those counties having road supervisors and may, when 

 they shall deem it to the pubhc interest, appoint an engineer to 

 supervise and direct all road and bridge construction and repair work, 

 x'^ll applications for opening, altering, or closing pubhc roads are 

 required to be by petition to the county board of commissioners. 



No general road or bridge tax levy is provided in any of the counties, 

 the levy varying in each county as determined by the county board 



