48 . BULLETIN" 393^ U. S. DEPAETMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



of new roads. It is the present practice and intention of the county- 

 authorities to use it for the building of new roads and in the main- 

 tenance of roads akeady constructed. 



HOW THE WORK WAS MANAGED. 



From July, 1911, when the first contracts were let, to September 

 30, 1915, a total of $1,031,578.54 was expended in the construction 

 of the improved roads. With this amount 144.52 miles of road were 

 graded, of which 78.47 miles were macadamized. Of the macadam 

 roads, 24.34 miles were surfaced with bituminous material. There 

 were also constructed 30 steel bridges and 95 concrete culverts. Of 

 the first bond issue of $700,000, about 76 per cent was spent for 

 grading, 3 per cent for bridges, and 21 per cent for macadamizing. 

 Nearly all of the two district bond issues, aggregating $260,000, was 

 spent for macadamizing roads previously graded. The cost of sur- 

 face treatment of 24.34 miles of macadam roads amounted to 

 $9,758.82, or $400.93 per mile. The roads were graded to a width 

 of from 16 'to 18 feet, while the macadam surface varied from 9 to 

 12 feet. A good contrast between the old and the new roads is 

 shown in Plate XVI. 



It is estimated that there are about 300 miles of public road in 

 the county, of which 83.07 miles, or 27.6 per cent, have been macad- 

 amized. (See Plate XVII.) This includes 4.6 miles of State-aid 

 macadam. In addition to this, 66.05 miles have been graded under 

 the bond issue and 1.3 miles with local funds, making a total of 150.42 

 miles, or 48.6 per cent of the total, partially or wholly improved. 



The State highway department furnished plans, specifications, 

 and estimates for the roads and supervised the actual construction, 

 but, as has been pointed out in connection with other county studies, 

 the State highway department was not called in to make any exam- 

 ination and estimate before the bonds were voted, and this absence 

 of competent advice was decidedly injurious to the county. The 

 immediate supervision of the work was intrusted to a county engineer 

 appointed by the board of supervisors with the approval of the State 

 highway department. His salary of $175 to $200 per month was 

 paid by the county out of the bond-issue funds. 



The roads were built by contract awarded by the State highway 

 commission and the county board of supervisors under the unit-price 

 system, with the exception of some macadam surfacing under the 

 district bond issues where the work was done by force account. 



The regular road work of the county is carried on by the district 

 road superintendents, under the general direction of the county 

 board of supervisors. The board consists of four members — one 

 for each district. They are elected by the people for 4-year terms 

 and receive $4 per day for time actually employed, not to exceed 



