ROAD MILEAGE AND BEVENUES IF NEW ENGLAND STATES. 23 



The maintenance of all roads constructed by the State, both on 

 trunk-line and State-aid highways, is in direct charge of the State 

 highway commission. The actual work is looked after by a super- 

 intendent of repairs. The State is divided into nine districts for the 

 purpose of maintenance, each of which is in charge of a supervisor of 

 repairs. All of the State roads are under the "patrol system," the 

 various workmen being under foremen, who report directly to the 

 supervisors. The supervisors, the foremen, and a sufficient num- 

 ber of workmen to maintain the roads properly are employed during 

 the entire year, constant attention being given to the roads at all 

 seasons. 



The State highway department purchases its own equipment, and 

 during the past year has installed an automobile brigade. This has 

 been a direct advantage both in cost of maintenance of roads and 

 abihty to cover a much larger area, as compared with horse-drawn 

 vehicles. In the maintenance of their own roads, the selectmen of 

 towns purchase their own equipment without reference to the State 

 highway department. 



By an act of the legislature in 1915, all bridges having a span of 

 25 feet or greater, on the trunk-line highways (with the exception 

 hereinafter noted), were placed imder the jurisdiction of the State 

 highway department. Bridges over railroad or street-railway lines 

 and bridges in towns having a population of 10,000 or more are not 

 included; nor are bridges built or maintained under a special act 

 of the legislature. Where any such bridge lies in a town, the cost 

 is borne half each by the State and such town; where the bridge is 

 between two towns or counties, the State pays one-half and the 

 towns or counties one-fourth each. If there is a street railway Hne 

 across such bridge, the town, towns, or counties pay one-third, the 

 State one-third, and the street-railway company one-third. Much 

 work already has been done under this law. 



While the legislature from year to year has authorized bond 

 issues, and these bonds have been sold, the revenue therefrom has 

 been placed in the general account and has not been set apart dis- 

 tinctively as road-improvement funds. TheSe bonds, therefore, can 

 not be denominated road bonds. Money authorized for road con- 

 struction and maintenance is placed to the credit of the State high- 

 way department from money not otherwise appropriated. 



REVENUES APPUED TO ROADS, FISCAL YEAR 1914-15. 



The total revenues apphed to roads in the fiscal year ended Sep- 

 tember 30, 1915, amounted to $3,640,962.75, and comprised the fol- 

 lowing items: for construction of 84.91 miles of trunk-line roads, 

 paid entirely by the State, $869,627.40; for 78.16 miles of State-aid 

 road, for which the State paid three-fourths to seven-eighths of the 



