■ i mi 111 iiiii hum n; him inn 111 s. ..^ .r".'^ -. — ,- 
KOAD MILEAGE, CENTRAL AND WESTERN STATES. 17 
shall be designated as president of the commission. The governor also appoints a 
chief State highway engineer and an assistant State highway engineer. The State 
highway commission has general supervision of highways and bridges constructed, 
improved, and maintained in whole or in part by aid of State moneys; aids local 
road officials by giving advice and causing to be prepared plans, specifications, and 
estimates for highway and bridge work; lets all contracts for the construction or 
improvement of State-aid roads, and prescribes a uniform system of auditing and 
accounting for all road and bridge moneys. The chief State highway engineer and 
the assistant State highway engineer are the administrative and technical agents of 
the State highway commission. All subordinate appointments in the State highway 
department are subject to the State civil-service laws. 
Public highways, or sections thereof, including bridges, may be laid out, improved, 
or constructed at the joint expense of the State and any county, the State contrib- 
uting one-half the expense and the county or counties through which the highway 
or a portion thereof passes, one-half. The boards of the several counties designate 
and indicate on a map public highways within their respective counties of sufficient 
importance to receive State aid; but the total mileage of highways so designated in 
any county may not exceed 15 per cent of the total road mileage in counties of the 
first class; 20 per cent in counties of the second class, and 25 per cent in counties of 
the third class. The board of supervisors or county commissioners, as the case may 
be, specify the type of Improvement to be made, which is final and not subject to 
change by the State highway commission; but decision as to type shall not be made 
until the board has secured from the commission detailed estimates of the cost of 
the several types of road. If earth roads are specified and built, the county pays 
all maintenance cost; but if gravel or macadam is specified and constructed the State 
pays one-half of the maintenance cost. 
Appropriations made by the general assembly for State aid are apportioned by the 
State highway commission to the several counties in the ratio that the total amount 
levied and collected for roads and bridges in each county bears to the total amount 
so levied in the State for roads and bridges. The amounts so apportioned are dupli- 
cated by the counties and used in constructing State-aid roads. If a county desires 
to improve its State-aid roads more rapidly than can be done with its annual appor- 
tionment, it does so by advancing the necessary funds out of any county funds avail- 
able, or by issiung county bonds. Before bonds are issued, however, an election 
must be called thereon, and a majority of those voting must favor the proposition. 
Counties so expediting the improvement of their State-aid roads are entitled there- 
after to receive their apportionment of State aid until the State has contributed its 
portion of the cost thereof. Improvements are initiated bv the county boards by 
passing a resolution requesting State aid. The State hig^ray commission causes 
necessary surveys, plans, specifications, and estimates to be made. 
In each county of the State there is a county superintendent of highways, appointed 
in the manner following: The county board of each county submits to the State 
highway commission a list of from three to five persons, residents of the county. The 
State highway commission, by competitive examination, selects from among the 
names submitted those best fitted for said office and so certifies to the county board 
submitting the list, which appoints from the number found eligible one superin- 
tendent of highways for a term of six years and subject to removal. 
The county superintendent of highways is required, subject to the rules and regu- 
lations of the State highway commission, to prepare plans, specifications, and esti- 
mates for all bridges to be built by the county, to be approved by the State highway 
commission before adoption; to act for the county in all road and bridge matters 
and advise town aud district highway commissioners in regard to highway and bridge 
work; to supervise the repair and maintenance of all State-aid roads within the 
72690°— Bull. 3S9— 17 2 
