ECOXOMIC SURVEYS OF COUXTY HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT. 75 



Additional expenses — Contintied. 



Spreading sand $285. 85 



Heating asphalt 130. 00 



Incidentals (shovels, repairs, etc.) 21. 87 



Patching 64. 35 



HauUng water for traction engine 11. 25 



Total $1, 841. 79 



Grand total 6, 054. 64 



Average cost per mile (for the 10 miles ) $605. 46 



Average cost per square yard ' $0. 072 



Total number of square yards treated up to April, 1914 125, 072 



Total cost $9, 182. 38 



Average cost per mile over entire 15 miles .* $612. 16 



Average cost per square yard $0. 073 



The material was purchased and appUed by contract at a fixed 

 charge per square yard. The cost of this treatment and all addi- 

 tional expenses shown above were paid by the county from the bond- 

 issue funds. 



When roads begin to show signs of wear they are patched and 

 re-treated. About one-fourth gallon of the material per square yard 

 is used in the second treatment and the cost averages about $400 per 

 mile, which includes $20 to $25 per mile for patching. The second 

 treatment and all subsequent repairs are paid for out of the main- 

 tenance funds. 



For keeping ditches open and for taking care of other small repairs, 

 one man is constantly employed in Beat 1. He furnishes a horse, 

 wagon, and small tools and is paid $80 per month. Extra labor is 

 employed to assist him when necessary. 



The sand-clay roads are worked over with road machines and 

 dragged with spht-log drags as often as necessary. The bond-built 

 roads are maintained under the direction of the county highway 

 commission, with the approval of the county board of supervisors. 



There are no toll roads in the county. 



EFFECT OF ROAD IMPROVEMENT ON LAND VALUES. 



The taxable valuation in Lauderdale County in 1911 was 

 $15,839,185, including the city of Meridian and the railroad property, 

 and had increased in 1914 to $20,095,110.50. As the road improve- 

 ment would have no direct bearing upon the assessed valuations of 

 city and railroad property, a comparison of real-estate values outside 

 the city of Meridian would afford more illuminating information in 

 this connection. Such comparison shows that in 1911 the total 

 assessed valuation of real property outside of the city was $2,757,546 

 and that it had increased in 1914 to $3,183,809, an increase during 

 this period of road improvement of 15.4 per cent. A rather striking 



