50 BULLETIN 387, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTUEE, 



highway inspector, whose duty it was to study the road conditions 

 of the State and report to the governor. Prior to the meeting of 

 the legislature in 1909 the governor appointed a commission to re- 

 write the road laws, and at the legislative session of that year an act 

 was passed estabhshing a department of the State government to 

 be known as the office of public roads, and creating the office of 

 State commissioner of pubhc roads, all of which, however, was abol- 

 ished in 1911. 



In the legislative session of 1913 a law was enacted estabhshing 

 the State road bureau, which consists of the professor in charge of 

 the raihoad and highway department of the State university, who 

 is the chief road engineer and the chairman, the director of the ex- 

 periment station at the State university, and two additional mem- 

 bers appointed by the governor. The chief road engineer, with the 

 approval of the State road bureau, is authorized to select such cleri- 

 cal and engineering help as may be necessary. Salaries and expenses 

 in connection with the State road bureau are paid from the univer- 

 sity funds, and from appropriations by the legislature. 



The State road bureau has general supervision of the location, 

 construction, and maintenance of all public roads in the State so far 

 as may be consistent with the authority over said roads otherwise 

 conferred by the constitution or statutes. It prescribes rules and 

 regulations not inconsistent with law concerning the duties of 

 road engineers and their employees, and aids county road engineers 

 and their employees by giving advice and preparing plans and speci- 

 fications for road and bridge work. A school of instruction for county 

 road engineers is required to be held for at least 10 days each year 

 by the State road bureau, and the county road engineers are required 

 to attend and are authorized to receive from their respective counties 

 the actual expenses incurred thereby. 



The State road bureau is authorized to estabhsh and maintain stone 

 quarries, crushers, and brick kilns, and may employ the State convict 

 road force in the preparation of road materials. The State convict 

 road force also may be worked on the public roads. 



County courts have jurisdiction over aU matters pertaining to 

 the public roads and bridges in their respective counties. The 

 county court of each county may appoint some practical road 

 builder or civil engineer as county road engineer. In the event 

 the county court shall not appoint a county road engineer, it may 

 appoint a competent man as road supervisor for each magisterial 

 district. Upon petition of 50 legal voters of the county who are 

 freeholders, the county court shall cause a vote to be taken upon 

 the question as to whether there shall be appointed a county road 

 engineer or one road supervisor for each magisterial district of 

 the county. Each magisterial district is divided by the county 



