2 BULLETIN 555, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
work of the conference was expressed, and numerous requests were 
received for copies of the report of the conference. Under existing 
conditions and the general difficulty of securing representatives from 
all parts of the country to meet at a given point, it is considered 
highly gratifying that 26 representatives from 21 States attended. 
Because it was felt that a sufficient number of permanent organi- 
zations having to do with highway matters now exist, no additional 
permanent organization was contemplated, but the Office of Public 
Roads and Rural Engineering proposes to call other conferences 
from time to time as they may be needed. It is not intended to 
conflict or compete in any way with the permanent organizations, 
and, in fact, it is suggested that the conferences adopt the standards 
of such organizations whenever they are considered reasonably satis- 
factory. 
The purposes of the conference announced in advance were as 
follows : 
(1) To encourage the establishment of well-equipped State high- 
way laboratories. 
(2) To recommend for general adoption standard forms of speci- 
fications for various types of road materials as applied to specific 
uses. 
(3) To recommend for general adoption a comprehensive set of 
standard tests for various types of road materials. 
(4) To recommend for general adoption uniform methods of re- 
porting test results of various types of road materials. 
(5) To recommend for general adoption standard methods of 
sampling and inspecting various types of road materials. 
(6) To outline a plan of cooperative research on the part of the 
States in connection with the value of physical and chemical tests of 
various types of road materials as related to their use. 
(7) To recommend methods whereby the maximum efficiency of 
the laboratory may be developed as well as its maximum usefulness 
to highway engineers. 
It was realized that lack of time would prevent the first conference 
from considering all materials of interest in highway engineering. 
Therefore its attention was confined to recommendations relating to 
specifications, testing, sampling, and reporting tests on those mate- 
rials which are included in this report. It is hoped to cover other 
materials at later conferences. 
In the following report the recommendations of the conference are 
presented in four sections: 
(1) Standard forms of specifications for materials, 
(2) Standard methods of testing materials. 
(3) Standard forms of reporting test results. 
(4) Standard methods of sampling materials. 
