ROAD MILEAGE ^ CENTRAL AND WESTERN STATES. 27 
missioners each year determines the amount of taxes to be levied in the district, 
which shall not exceed $3 on each $1,000 of assessed valuation. Bonds may be issued 
upon a majority vote at an election. 
All public roads in townships, except county roads, are township roads and are 
under the care and supervision of the township board and a highway commissioner 
who is elected in each township. The township may be divided into one or more 
road districts and a road overseer elected in each district. 
Highways in every organized township are laid out, improved and maintained by 
two money taxes. One is known as the road repair tax and shall not exceed 50 cents 
on each $100 assessed valuation on all property, outside of incorporated villages, ex- 
cept in townships having an assessed value less than $200,000, in which the tax may 
not exceed $1 on the $100. The other tax is known as the highway improvement tax 
and shall not exceed 50 cents on the $100, including incorporated villages, and may 
be not to exceed $1 on the $100 if the taxable valuation is less than $200,000. A labor 
tax of not to exceed one day's labor for each $100 assessed valuation may be assessed 
in townships electing to assess such tax. Such labor tax may be discharged by paying 
$1.50 for each day assessed. 
The township board of any organized township, upon petition signed by not less 
than 25 freeholders of the township and a favorable majority vote at an election held 
therefor, may issue bonds in an amount not exceeding 5 per cent of the assessed 
valuation. 
The net fees from the licensing and registration of motor vehicles are applied, 50 per 
cent to the State highway fund and 50 per cent to the several counties in proportion 
to the amounts collected therein. 
On or before December 1 of each year there is set aside a portion of the appropria- 
tion for State highway purposes equal to 2 per cent of the total State rewards that have 
been paid at that time, which is credited to a repair fund to be paid out after Decem- 
ber 1 each year on State-rewarded roads in the same manner as State rewards are 
paid; but not more than 2 per cent of the total State reward, exclusive of the then 
current year, paid to any township or county, is paid to such township or county from 
the repair fund in any one year, provided that all repairs made on such roads shall be 
in accordance with specif] cations prepared by or approved by the State highway 
commissioner. 
Authority is given for the working of both State and county convicts on the public 
highways and in the preparation of road materials. 
ROAD MILEAGE. 
The total mileage of public roads in Michigan at the close of 1914 amounted to 74,190, 
of which 7,828.51 miles or 10.55 per cent were surfaced. Of the surfaced roads 
1,021.19 miles were macadam, 5,230.25 miles gravel, 1,375.27 miles sand-clay, 107.3 
miles concrete, and 94.5 miles bituminous macadam. There were also reported 1,523 
miles of graded and drained earth roads. In 1909 there were 86,906 miles of public 
road, with 6,900.54 miles, or 10.01 per cent, surfaced, an increase of 927.97 miles. 
Detailed information as to road mileage at the close of 1914 is presented in Table 15. 
REVENUES APPLIED TO ROADS AND BRD3GES. 
In 1914 there was applied to roads and bridges in the State of Michigan $9,261,998, 
of which $7,080,177 was received from general county and township taxation ; $1,524,557 
from local bond funds, and $657,264 from State funds applied to county and township 
roads under the State reward system. Of the latter sum $590,716 was expended for 
construction of roads and bridges, $13,035 for maintenance, $36,167 for engineering 
and inspection, $11,808 for administration, and $5,538 for miscellaneous equipment. 
In 1904 the total revenue applied to roads and bridges amounted to $3,179,787.88, an 
increase in the 10-year period of $6,082,210.12 or 191.27 per cent. Detailed information 
on road and bridge revenue for 1914 is presented in Table 38. 
