12 BULLETIN 389, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



and maintenance of State roads $307,398.71 was derived from automobile license fees 

 and $54,981.77 from special appropriations by the State legislatm-e. The total revenue 

 applied to roads and bridges in 1904 amounted to $2,157,396.36, an increase in the 

 10-year period of $17,014,588.30, or 786.6 per cent. Detailed information on this 

 subject is presented in Table 31. 



ROAD AND BRIDGE BONDS. 



The total road and bridge bonds outstanding in the early part of 1915 amounted to 

 $32,277,000, of which the counties had issued $14,277,000 and the State $18,000,000. 

 In 1914 the counties expended from bond funds a total of $2,397,975.43, and the State 

 expended from State bonds $6,488,217.13. In the same year there was voted and 

 sold by the counties $2,712,000, and there was retired $271,000 road and bridge bonds. 

 The term of State bonds is 50 years, and rate of interest 4 per cent. They are to be 

 paid off in annual installments of $400,000 after July 1, 1917. Details of coimty bond 

 issues are presented in Table 54. 



COLORADO.i 



Colorado has a land area of 103,658 square miles, a total road mileage of 39,780, of 

 which 1,193.87 mUes, or 3 per cent, were surfaced at the close of 1914. 



The State , high way commissioner is appointed by the governor for a term of four 

 years. The governor also appoints an advisory board of five members, one from each 

 of five districts of the State and one of whom is retired each year. The State highway 

 commissioner and the advisory board appoint a secretary who must be a civil engineer, 

 and other necessary help. It is the duty of the State highway commissioner and his 

 assistants to give such advice, assistance, and supervision regarding road construction, 

 improvement, and maintenance thi'oughout the State as time and conditions may 

 permit. The board of commissioners of each coimty is required to prepare and 

 forward to the State highway commissioner a map showing all roads of the county and 

 indicating those of sufficient importance to receive State aid. The State highway 

 commissioner is required on or before January 1 of each year to have on file in his 

 office a map showing all the roads in each county, and in color those he deems to be of 

 sufficient importance to receive State aid and which, when completed, will provide 

 an adequate system of State roads. Such roads may be divided into two classes: 

 First, those of primary importance, and, second, those of secondary importance. 

 Unless otherwise directed roads of primary importance shall be improved first. On 

 the 1st day of March each year the State highway commissioner and the advisory 

 board apportion the State road fund among the different counties of the State and 

 notify the board of commissioners of each county of the amount apportioned thereto. 

 In making the apportionment, population, area, amount expended by each county on 

 roads, and the difficulty of road construction in each county are considered. The 

 boards of county commissioners make all surveys, plans, specifications, and estimates 

 for all work on State roads in their respective counties, in accordance with rules and 

 regulations prescribed by the State highway commissioner and the advisory board, 

 and all work on such roads in the several counties is under the county board. The 

 county boards of the respective counties are authorized to employ a county engineer 

 to have charge of all such work under their direction. 



Jurisdiction over roads and bridges in the several counties is exercised by the 

 boards of county commissioners, who may divide their counties into suitable road 

 districts and appoint a road overseer for each district. A county road supervisor may 

 be elected by the county board of commissioners of each county, except in counties 

 whose boundaries coincide with the boundaries of a city and counties in which 

 revenues for road purposes are less than $12,000. The supervisor so elected must be a 



1 In collecting the information for Colorado assistance was rendered by J. E. Maloney, State highway 

 engineer, and collaborator of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. 



