20 BULLETIN 388, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



was expended under the State board of public roads a total of 

 S3, 641, 032.83 for construction, repair, and maintenance of State and 

 State-aid roads. There is no direct tax for State roads. 



STATE AID. 



Whenever a town makes an appropriation equal to or more than 

 20 cents on the $100 valuation and directs that the money shall be 

 spent under the direction of the State board, it shall be entitled, 

 according to the law of 1910, to State money aid equal to one-fifth 

 of the money appropriated by the town. 



THE LOCAL ADMINISTRATION. 



The administration of local roads, other than State roads, is vested 

 in the towns or cities themselves. There is no county administration. 

 There is no direct tax. The money for roads and bridges is spent 

 from the general fund. The taxpayers make an appropriation for 

 roads and bridges and this is spent by the road commissioner or 

 highway committees, either elected by the people or appointed by 

 the town council, or the towns are divided into road districts and a 

 commissioner is appointed for each district by the town council. In 

 some towns the members of the town council are the highway com- 

 missioners and take care of their own districts. 



REVENUES APPLIED TO ROADS AND BRIDGES, 1914. 



In 1914 the total revenues applied to roads and bridges amounted 

 to $446,496.05, of which the State funds amounted to $202,496.05, 

 and the town funds $244,000. Of the State funds, $5,000 was for 

 office and traveling expenses of the State board of pubUc roads, 

 $168,981.56 derived from automobile registrations and other sources 

 was for the maintenance and repair of State roads, $4,920.71, balance 

 on hand, expended for construction of State highways, and $23,593.79 

 for bridge construction and repair. 



The total revenues applied to roads in 1904 amounted to $405,010.85, 

 thus showing an increase for the 10-year period of $41,485.20, or 

 10.2 per cent. Of the total revenues apphed to roads in 1904 the 

 town revenues amounted to $297,414.71 and the State revenues to 

 $107,596.14. 



Information in regard to town revenues devoted to roads and 

 bridges in 1914 is shown in Table 12. 



ROAD AND BRIDGE BONDS. 



No bonds have been issued by counties or towns, but the State has 

 issued $1,800,000 of bonds for the purpose of building State roads, 

 $600,000 having been authorized in each of the years 1906, 1909, and 

 1912. These are sinking-fund bonds issued for 30 years and bear 

 interest at the rate of 3, 3^, and 4 per cent, respectively. 



