ROAD MILEAGE, CENTRAL AND WESTERN STATES. 23 
township, to be expended by the board on the roads in such townships; and the boards 
of supervisors may levy 1 mill additional on all taxable property, including municipal- 
ities, for the county-drainage fund, to be used by the board for the drainage of high- 
ways and the payment of drainage assessments levied for highway drainage work. 
One-half of the county road fund arising from the levy on property within any muni- 
cipality is paid to the treasurer of such municipality, to be used for road and street 
improvements therein. 
The boards of supervisors of the several counties are authorized to make appropria- 
tions for bridges as follows: In countrf.es having more than 10,000 and not over 15,000 
population, not to exceed $15,000; in counties having over 15,000 population, not to 
exceed $25,000. 
Of the proceeds arising from the registration and licensing of motor vehicles, 90 per 
cent is apportioned to the respective counties in the ratio that the number of town- 
ships therein bears to the total number of townships in the State, and 5 per cent is 
applied for the maintenance and support of the State highway commission. 
The township trustees determine each year the rate of property tax to be levied in 
their respective townships for road and bridge purposes, but the amount of such tax 
shall not exceed 4 mills on the dollar. The levy of the township road tax is made in 
the same manner that the other taxes are levied and collected. 
Bonds may be issued by counties for bridges across border streams of the State, upon 
a favorable vote of a majority of those voting at an election called thereon. 
Provision is made for working convicts on the roads and in preparation of road mate- 
rial, but no convict who objects shall be so worked. 
ROAD MILEAGE. 
At the close of 1914 Iowa had 104,074 miles of public road, of which 614.57 miles, or 
0. 59 per cent, were surfaced. Of the surfaced roads 413 miles were gravel, 171.3 miles 
macadam, 23 miles sand-clay, 5.77 miles concrete, and 1.5 miles shell. According to 
the reports received in 1909 Iowa had 102,427 miles of road, of which 2,505.1 were 
reported as surfaced, thus indicating that the mileage of surfaced roads reported for 
1909 exceeds the mileage reported for 1914 by 1,890.53. The figures for 1914 were 
obtained by the Iowa State Highway Department, and it is believed, therefore, that 
they are much more accurate than those furnished for 1909. Information in regard 
to road mileage for the year 1914 is presented in Table 13. 
REVENUES APPLIED TO ROADS AND BRIDGES. 
The total revenue applied to roads and bridges in 1914 amounted to $10,187,507.32, 
exclusive of road bonds and warrants, of which $3,843,294.94 was derived from a gen- 
eral county and township bridge tax; $4,128,493.90 from a general county and town- 
ship road tax; $896,248.60 from the township drag tax; $801,258.24 from the motor 
vehicle tax; $255,821.64 from the poll tax; $188,390, the cash value of the statute 
labor tax, and $74,000 was appropriated by the State for educational and supervisory 
work by the State highway commission. Of the latter sum, $50,000 was for engin- 
eering and inspection, $10,000 for administration, and $14,000 for miscellaneous equip- 
ment, etc. None of these amounts include funds derived from bond issues and road 
warrants. It was impossible to ascertain the amounts expended from such sources 
in 1914. In 1904 the total revenue applied to roads and bridges amounted to $3,106,- 
607.50, thus indicating an increase in the 10-year period of $7,080,899.82, or 227.92 per 
cent. 
Detailed information in regard to revenue applied to roads and bridges during 1914 
is presented in Table 36. 
ROAD AND BRIDGE BONDS. 
On January 1, 1915, the total road and bridge bonds outstanding amounted to 
$1,960,780, of which $376,828 were voted and sold in 1914. These bonds bear interest 
at the rate of from 4 to 5 per cent. It was impossible to ascertain the amount expended 
from these sources in 1914. Information as to bond issues is contained in Table 58. 
