*72 BULLETIN 393, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



of the bond-built roads comprised 1 mill and produced about 4.9 per 

 cent of the revenue; and the general road tax was 1 mill and 

 produced about 6 per cent of the revenue, thus showing that the 

 public-road revenue of the county comprised about 20 per cent of the 

 total revenue of approximately $269,500. 



The county road tax is levied against all taxable property in Merid- 

 ian, but about one-half of the proceeds is used for streets inside the 

 corporate limits. Since 1911 the tax rate for the city of Meridian has 

 increased only 0.4 mill, in spite of the fact that it is paying 2.8 mills 

 for interest and maintenance of bond-built roads. The rate for 

 Beat 1, outside of the city, increased 3.4 mills during the same period, 

 and the rate for Beat 5 increased 7.5 mills. The rate in Beats 2, 3, and 

 4 increased 0.6 mill, but none of the bond-built roads are located in 

 those beats. 



The general bondmg law of the State requires that the tax for 

 payment of interest and principal on the bonds be a special tax 

 instead of huving any of the expenditure paid out of other funds. 



HOW THE WORK WAS MANAGED. 



The roads constructed from the proceeds of bond issues were built 

 by contract under the general direction of a county highway com- 

 mission, consisting of three members appointed by the county board 

 of supervisors for a term of 4 years. All important actions of the 

 commission, such as letting contracts and paying out money, are 

 approved by the county board of supervisors. The commission em- 

 ployed an engineer, and all work was done under his immediate direo- 

 tion. He made the surveys and prepared the plans, specifications, 

 and estimates, which were approved by the commission and the 

 board of supervisors before the contracts were let. All bills were 

 checked by the engineer, approved by the commission, and paid on 

 the order of the board of supervisors. 



Positions on the road conmaission were honorary, and the commis- 

 sioners acted without salary, but received $50 per annum for ex- 

 penses. The commission went into office when the first bonds were 

 issued, and has continued in office up to the present time with some 

 changes in personnel. The engineer to the commission received a 

 salary of $250 per month and the use of an automobile. He con- 

 tinued in office from the time the work started until the work was 

 finished, about April 30, 1915. During the construction period an 

 assistant engineer was employed by the commission at a salary of $90 

 per month. A new engineer was employed on May 1, 1915, to com- 

 plete the work under the $50,000 bond issue of March 1, 1915. His 

 salary is $135 per month, but is partly paid by the county board of 

 supervisors for services rendered in coimection with laying out roads 

 for the county convict road forces. Before the bonds were issued 



