12 BULLETIN" 389, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
and maintenance of State roads $307,398.71 was derived from automobile license fees 
and $54,981.77 from special appropriations by the State legislature. The total revenue 
applied to roads and bridges in 1904 amounted to $2,157,396.36, an increase in the 
10-year period of $17,014,588.30, or 786.6 per cent. Detailed information on this 
subject is presented in Table 31. 
ROAD AND BRDDGE BONDS. 
The total road and bridge bonds outstanding in the early part of 1915 amounted to 
$32,277,000, of which the counties had issued $14,277,000 and the State $18,000,000. 
In 1914 the counties expended from bond funds a total of $2,397,975.43, and the State 
expended from State bonds $6,488,217.13. In the same year there was voted and 
sold by the counties $2,712,000, and there was retired $271,000 road and bridge bonds. 
The term of State bonds is 50 years, and rate of interest 4 per cent. They are to be 
paid off in annual installments of $400,000 after July 1, 1917. Details of county bond 
issues are presented in Table 54. 
COLORADO. 1 
Colorado has a land area of 103,658 square miles, a total road mileage of 39,780, of 
which 1,193.87 miles, or 3 per cent, were surfaced at the close of 1914. 
The State highway commissioner is appointed by the governor for a term of four 
years. The governor also appoints an advisory board of five members, one from each 
of five districts of the State and one of whom is retired each year. The State highway 
commissioner and the advisory board appoint a secretary who must be a civil engineer, 
and other necessary help. It is the duty of the State highway commissioner and his 
assistants to give such advice, assistance, and supervision regarding road construction, 
improvement, and maintenance throughout the State as time and conditions may 
permit. The board of commissioners of each county is required to prepare and 
forward to the State highway commissioner a map showing all roads of the county and 
indicating those of sufficient importance to receive State aid. The State highway 
commissioner is required on or before January 1 of each year to have on file in his 
office a map showing all the roads in each county, and in color those he deems to be of 
sufficient importance to receive State aid and which, when completed, will provide 
an adequate system of State roads. Such roads may be divided into two classes: 
First, those of primary importance, and, second, those of secondary importance. 
Unless otherwise directed roads of primary importance shall be improved first. On 
the 1st day of March each year the State highway commissioner and the advisory 
board apportion the State road fund among the different counties of the State and 
notify the board of commissioners of each county of the amount apportioned thereto. 
In making the apportionment, population, area, amount expended by each county on 
roads, and the difficulty of road construction in each county are considered. The 
boards of county commissioners make all surveys, plans, specifications, and estimates 
for all work on State roads in their respective counties, in accordance with rules and 
regulations prescribed by the State highway commissioner and the advisory board, 
and all work on such roads in the several counties is under the county board. The 
county boards of the respective counties are authorized to employ a county engineer 
to have charge of all such work under their direction. 
Jurisdiction over roads and bridges in the several counties is exercised by the 
boards of county commissioners, who may divide their counties into suitable road 
districts and appoint a road overseer for each district. A county road supervisor may 
be elected by the county board of commissioners of each county, except in counties 
whose boundaries coincide with the boundaries of a city and counties in which 
revenues for road purposes are less than $12,000. The supervisor so elected must be a 
> In collecting the information for Colorado assistance was rendered by J. E. Maloney, State highway 
engineer, and collaborator of the U. 8. Department of Agriculture. 
