42 BULLETIN 389, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGEICULTTJEE. 



or portions of the Bystem of intercoimty hdghways. The State highway commissioner 

 may designate additional intercounty highways and main market roads, or change 

 existing ones. 



A State tax of three-tenths of 1 mill on all taxable property in the State is levied 

 annually, and the proceeds constitute a State highway improvement fund. Of this 

 fund 75 per cent is used for the maintenance of the State highway department and for 

 apportionment equally among the several counties to aid in the construction, main- 

 tenance and repair of the intercounty highways, and 25 per cent is used to aid in the 

 construction, maintenance and repair of the main market roads. The county com- 

 missioners are required to make application to the State highway commissioner for 

 State aid before January 1 of the year for which the funds are available and if they do 

 not make appUcation by such date the township trustees may do so. The county or 

 township, and the State each pay one-half of the cost of improvements made with the 

 aid of State funds imless the county or township agrees to pay a larger portion; and of 

 the county's portion the county pays, except as otherwise provided, 50 per cent, the 

 township 30 per cent, and abutting property 20 per cent. 



The county commissioners of the several counties are vested with general jiu-is- 

 diction over the roads in their respective counties. Applications to locate, alter, 

 vacate, or otherwise affecting a public road, are made by petition to the county com- 

 missioners. The county surveyor is made the county highway superintendent, who 

 may be design'ated by the State highway commissioner to have charge of the highways, 

 bridges and culverts in the county under the control of the State, in which event 

 one-fifth of his salary is paid by the State. If the State highway commissioner deems 

 the county highway superintendent of any county improperly qualified and so states 

 in writing to the county commissioners, he may then designate an engineer to have 

 charge of the construction, improvement and repair of all bridges and highways 

 within such county. On or before April 1 each year, the county highway superin- 

 tendent reports to the county commissioners an estimate of the probable amount 

 reqiured within the year for the construction, maintenance and repair of bridges, 

 culverts and roads, and also makes an annual estimate to the township trustees of the 

 funds needed for the construction, maintenance and repair of bridges, culverts, and 

 roads in the township. 



The board of county commissioners of any county mS,y construct a new road or 

 improve any existing road when requested by a petition signed by at least 51 per cent 

 of the land or lot owners, residents of the county, who will be specially taxed or assessed 

 for such improvements. Of the cost of such improvements, a part or all may be 

 assessed against abutting real estate and the balance, if any, shall be paid by the 

 county and township, or townships, as determined by the board of county commis- 

 sioners. In order to meet the county's portion of the cost, the county commissioners 

 are authorized to levy a tax of not exceeding 2 mills on the dollar of taxable property 

 in the county ; and in order to provide funds with which to meet the township's portion 

 the county commissioners may levy a tax of not exceeding 3 mills on the taxable 

 property of such township or townships. Bonds of the county may be issued in antici- 

 pation of the collection of such taxes and assessments. 



Toll roads may be purchased by the boards of county commissioners in the]r re- 

 spective counties, when authorized by a majority of those voting at an election thereon. 

 Bonds may be issued for toll roads so purchased. 



Three township trustees are elected biennially in each township, which is divided 

 into not less than one or more than four road districts, and the trustees appoint for each 

 road district a superintendent, who is known as township highway superintendent 

 and has control of the roads of his district. The township highway superintendent 

 is under the control and direction of the township trustees and may be removed for 

 incompetence or neglect of duty. He divides the gravel and unimproved public 

 roads into road dragging districts of not more than 6 miles of road each, and contracts 

 for dragging. 



