ROAD MILEAGE AND REVENUES IN NEW ENGLAND STATES. 23 
The maintenance of all roads constructed by the State, both on 
trunk-line and State-aid highways, is in direct charge of the State 
highway commission. The actual work is looked after by a super- 
intendent of repairs. The State is divided into nine districts for the 
purpose of maintenance, each of which is in charge of a supervisor of 
repairs. All of the State roads are under the " patrol system," the 
various workmen being under foremen, who report directly to the 
supervisors. The supervisors, the foremen, and a sufficient num- 
ber of workmen to maintain the roads properly are employed during 
the entire year, constant attention being given to the roads at all 
seasons. 
The State highway department purchases its own equipment, and 
during the past year has installed an automobile brigade. This has 
been a direct advantage both in cost of maintenance of roads and 
ability to cover a much larger area, as compared with horse-drawn 
vehicles. In the maintenance of their own roads, the selectmen of 
towns purchase their own equipment without reference to the State 
highway department. 
By an act of the legislature in 1915, all bridges having a span of 
25 feet or greater, on the trunk-line highways (with the exception 
hereinafter noted), were placed under the jurisdiction of the State 
highway department. Bridges over railroad or street-railway lines 
and bridges in towns having a population of 10,000 or more are not 
included; nor are bridges built or maintained under a special act 
of the legislature. Where any such bridge lies in a town, the cost 
is borne half each by the State and such town; where the bridge is 
between two towns or counties, the State pays one-half and the 
towns or counties one-fourth each. If there is a street railway line 
across such bridge, the town, towns, or counties pay one-third, the 
State one-third, and the street-railway company one-third. Much 
work already has been done under this law. 
While the legislature from year to year has authorized bond 
issues, and these bonds have been sold, the revenue therefrom has 
been placed in the general account and has not been set apart dis- 
tinctively as road-improvement funds. These bonds, therefore, can 
not be denominated road bonds. Money authorized for road con- 
struction and maintenance is placed to the credit of the State high- 
way department from money not otherwise appropriated. 
REVENUES APPLIED TO ROADS, FISCAL YEAR 1914-15. 
The total revenues applied to roads in the fiscal year ended Sep- 
tember 30, 1915, amounted to $3,640,962.75, and comprised the fol- 
lowing items: for construction of 84.91 miles of trunk-line roads, 
paid entirely by the State, $869,627.40; for 78.16 miles of State-aid 
road, for which the State paid three-fourths to seven-eighths of the 
