24 BULLETIN 359. U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 
KANSAS.' 
Kansas has a land area of 81,774 square miles, and a total road mileage of 111,052, 
of which 1,148.85 miles, or 1.03 per cent, were surfaced at the close cf II 14. 
The State engineer at the State agricultural college is required to give advice and 
information on road matters, free of charge, when requested by the county engineer or 
the board of county commissioners of any county. 
The roads of the State are classified as "State roads." vrhich include all roads laid 
out and defined by the State; "county roads."' which include all roads designated as 
such by the board of county com m issioners, and are required, as near as practicable. 
to connect cities and market centers; i; mail routes." which include all free delivery 
routes: and "township roads." which include all other public highways within the 
township. The county and State roads are maintained at the expense of the county. 
and mail routes and township reads, not coinciding with county or State roads, are 
maintained by the township. 
■ Boards of county commissioners are vested with jurisdiction and general super- 
vision over road and bridge matters in their respective counties. The county board 
of co mmi ssioners of each county is authorized to appoint a county engineer. The 
county surveyor may be appointed county engineer if the board deems him compe- 
tent. The county engineer has general supervision of all State and county roads 
under the authority of the board of county com m issioners and of all mail routes and 
township roads under the direction of the township trustee and highway commis- 
sioners. 
When 60 per cent of the landowners along any regularly laid out road, who own at 
least 50 per cent of the land proposed to be taxed, petition the board of county com- 
missioners to improve such road and to assess the cost in not to exceed 10 annual 
assessments upon the lands lying within the limits stated in the petition, the commis- 
sioners cause such improvement to be made and may issue special improvement bonds 
to pay therefor. If such improvements are made three-fourths of the cost shall be 
apportioned and assessed against the lands within the limits prescribed in the petition 
and one-fourth against the township or townships. The board of county commission- 
ers may appoint a superintendent to have charge of such work. 
Whenever the board of county commissioners of any county determines that it is 
necessary to repair or build a bridge or bridges in the county it may appropriate not 
to exceed $5,000 far each bridge. If the cost of any bridge exceeds $-5,000 and the 
assessed valuation of the county is $15. 000. 000 or more, additional amounts may be 
appropriated, graduated according to the assessed valuation. 
The board of county co mmi ssioners of any county may issue bonds in the county* 
for the building or purchase of a new bridge on petition, signed by not less than 50 
voters, requesting the submission of the question to a vote, and the favorable vote of 
a majority of those voting thereon. 
The township trustee, clerk, and treasurer of each township in the State constitute 
a board of highway com mi ssioners and a township auditing board for their respective 
townships. All mail routes and township roads are under the supervision and control 
of the board of highway commissioners, and the board appoints one or more road over- 
seers for all such roads in the township. In order to promote efficiency the board of 
highway commissioners may employ a superintendent to have charge of all road work 
under their direction, or may let work to contract. 
The board of commissioners of any county may levy for county and State roads and 
bridges a tax of not more than 1 mill on each dollar of taxable valuation, and. if author- 
ized by a majority vote of those voting at an election thereon, may levy not to exceed 
3 mills on each dollar. 
1 In collecting the information for K :.:". = :.- ndered by W. S. O State engineer, 
and A. B. Losh, assistant State engineer, and collaborator of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. 
