26 BULLETIN 389, U. S, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



passed upon by the State highway commissioner he certifies the fact to the auditor 

 general of the State, who draws a warrant on the State treasiuer, payable to the proper 

 authorities in the township, good road district, or county for the amount of State 

 reward due. This varies according to type and width of road, from $250 to $1,000 

 per mile. No State reward is allowed for more than 4 miles in any one township 

 in any one year, but a township or county may improve additional miles of road 

 in a manner to merit State reward and receive the reward each year until the 

 full amoimt is paid. The State highway commissioner may refuse to grant fiu-ther 

 reward to any township, good roads district, or county which does not keep its State- 

 reward roads in proper repair. 



A system of State reward trimk-line highways has been designated by the legis- 

 lature. Double State reward is paid for the improvement of the State reward trunk- 

 line highways. The State highway commissioner may refuse further reward where 

 trunk line rewarded roads aje not kept in proper repair. 



Under the county road law, which may be adopted by a majority vote of those 

 voting at an election thereon, there is elected in each coxmty a board of not more 

 than three county road commissioners. This board is authorized to make any im- 

 provement on any road under its control a,nd to employ a county highway engineer, 

 who is required to make all sinveys, plans, specifications, and estimates and exercise 

 general supervision over all construction work. Two or more adjoining coimties 

 may employ ihe same engineer. If State reward is to be applied for, the board of 

 county road commissioners is required to file with the State highway commissioner 

 a map of the county showing the location of the proposed system of county roads, 

 which system may be extended, if approved by the State highway commissioner. 

 All State reward roads composing a part of the county road system must be taken 

 over as county roads by the board of coimty road commissioners. Before October 1 

 of each year the board of county road commissioners must have preliminary surveys, 

 general plans, specifications, and estimates of roads, bridges, and culverts made by 

 the county highway engineer. From the estimates the board determines the amoxmt 

 of tax to be raised in the county for such year, specifying all the roads upon which 

 the money is to be expended and the amount to be spent on each road, but such tax 

 may not exceed $3 on each $1,000 valuation where the valuation does not exceed 

 $40,000,000; $2 on the $1,000 where the valuation exceeds $40,000,000 but not 

 $75,000,000; $1 on the $1,000 where the valuation exceeds $75,000,000 but not 

 $100,000,000; and 50 cents on the $1,000 if the valuation exceeds $100,000,000. The 

 board of supervisors levies the tax. 



It is made the duty of the board of supervisors to raise a sufiicient tax to keep 

 county roads or bridges already built in reasonable repair. 'V^Tienever the board of 

 supervisors resolves to issue bonds to raise money for the construction and mainte- 

 nance of county roads the question may be submitted to an election in which a 

 majority vote is required. 



If the owners of a majority of the frontage of lands abutting upon any highway or 

 portion thereof not less than 2 miles in length desire to improve such highway, they 

 may file application to the county road commissioners, who, upon making the im- 

 provements, assess from 25 to 75 per cent of the cost on such abutting land according 

 to the benefits accruing, the remainder being assessed to the county and township. 

 All such assessments made in an assessment district may be paid in 10 annual install- 

 ments and bonds may be issued in anticipation thereof. 



By a majority vote at an election for the purpose any combination of townships, 

 villages, or cities lying contiguous in any county may be organized into a good roads 

 district. In each such township, village, or city there shall be elected one good 

 roads commissioner, and these, constituting the board of good road commissioners 

 for the district, have duties in the district like those of the board of county road 

 commissioners in a county under the county road law. The board of good road com- 



