14 BULLETIN 388, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
to hold hearings, and, if justified, assess not exceeding one-half of 
the cost to the State and the balance to the petitioning town. The 
commissioners shall report their findings to the county court and the 
court shall render judgment thereon. 
The working of county prisoners on the public highways is author- 
ized by law. 
REVENUES APPLIED TO ROADS AND BRIDGES. 
All funds applied to roads and bridges in 1914 amounted to 
$1,023,941.01, of which the towns raised $617,327.79 and the State 
contributed from appropriations and automobile revenues a total of 
$406,613.22. 
Of the amount raised by the towns, $388,542.63 was for construc- 
tion and maintenance of town roads, $16,346.42 for resurfacing of 
town roads, $96,754.36 was raised under the 5 per cent State road 
tax, and $115,684.38 was contributed by the towns for State-aid 
roads. These items do not include expenditures for the construction 
and maintenance of culverts and bridges over 4-foot span, or for 
snow removal, or for winter roads. Appropriations for these pur- 
poses are made from town funds, and no records of the amounts 
expended are available. 
The amounts contributed by the State are for the fiscal year ended 
June 30, 1914, and are shown in the State auditor's report for 1914, 
as follows: 
Salary and expenses of State highway commissioner S7, 153. 59 
Salary and expenses of county supervisors. 19, 347. 60 
State aid to towns 10, 000. 00 
Permanent highway work (appropriation) 272, 847. 04 
Automobile maintenance fund (paid to towns) 70, 852. 12 
State funds expended on bridge work 5, 360. 87 
Elimination of grade crossings (State's share) 21, 052. 00 
Total . 406, 613. 22 
The total revenue applied to roads in 1904 amounted to 
$567,397.33, of which the towns raised $440,016.12 and the State 
appropriated $127,381.21. Thus revenues for roads and bridges 
increased $456,543.68, or 80.4 per cent. No bonds were reported 
as issued or outstanding. 
Information regarding receipts from town taxes for town and 
State-aid roads is presented in Table 9. 
ROAD MILEAGE. 
According to reports collected from the towns by the collaborator, 
Vermont had at the close of 1914, 14,248.66 miles of public road, of 
which 1,442.03 miles, or 10.12 per cent, were surfaced. Of the 
surfaced roads 1,165.42 miles were gravel, 274.67 miles gravel-telford, 
and 1.94 miles of macadam. According to the 1909 report, Vermont 
