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



ROAD AND BRIDGE BONDS. 



The total road and bridge bonds outstanding on January 1, 1915, amounted to 

 $157,000, of which |50,000 was voted and sold in 1914. There was expended in 1914 

 in Dona Ana County $30,000. In 1913 the State authorized the issuance of $500,000 

 State bonds for road and bridge prnposes, but the funds derived from this issue did 

 not become available until September 1, 1915. These bonds are issued in denomi- 

 nations of $1,000 each, numbered from 1 to 500, the first 20 of which are payable on 

 January 1, 1915, and 20 bonds in consecutive order on July 1, annually, thereafter. 

 The proceeds are to be expended for the construction and maintenance of a system 

 of State highways. 



Detailed information on this subject is presented in Table 64. 



NORTH DAKOTA.1 



North Dakota has a land area of 70,183 square miles and a total road mileage of 

 68,796, of which 955 miles, or 1.38 per cent, were surfaced at the close of 1914. 



There is a State highway commission composed of the governor, the State engineer, 

 and one other member appointed by the governor. The State engineer, as secretary, 

 is required to keep all records of the commission, to give such advice, assistance, and 

 supervision in respect to road construction as time and conditions will permit, and to 

 prepare plans and specifications for and superintend the construction of any road, 

 imder the direction of the State highway commission, when requested so to do by 

 the board having jurisdiction over such road. The State highway commission re- 

 quires the State engineer to prepare a map of each county showing the roads and the 

 location of all bridges and culverts, and also the roads on which it is proposed to 

 utilize State funds when such funds may be made available. When requested by 

 any board of county commissioners, or by any board of township supervisors, the 

 State engineer is required to prepare plans for the construction of any bridge or cul- 

 vert or to examine and report on any existing bridge or culvert, and cooperate as far 

 as possible with the county surveyor or county superintendent of highways. 



The construction and maintenance of roads and bridges in the several counties is 

 vested in the county board of commissioners. Such jurisdiction in civil townships is 

 vested in the township board of supervisors. The board of county commissioners in 

 any county not formed into townships is required to apportion the county annually 

 into one or more road districts and appoint a road supervisor for each district. The 

 boards of county commissioners of the several counties may appoint biennially a 

 competent engineer or practical road builder, who may be the county surveyor, to 

 be county superintendent of highways, and to have charge of the road work within 

 the county. 



By an act passed in 1915 there is in each county a board of highway improvements, 

 consisting of one member from each road district in the county. It is the duty of 

 this board to formulate plajis and methods for the uniform working of highways 

 within the county, and such method as it may adopt shall be followed in each district 

 of the county. 



The township board of supervisors is required to appoint annually one township 

 overseer of highways, who must be a practical road builder. He has chai'ge of the 

 construction and maintenance of all highways and township bridges in the township. 

 In unorganized territory in counties where no county superintendent of highways 

 has been appointed, the board of county commissioners shall appoint a district over- 

 seer of highways, whose powers and duties shall be the same as in the organized 

 townships. 



1 In collecting the information for North Dakota assistance was rendered by Jay W. Bliss, State engineer, 

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



