28 BULLETIN 389, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
ROAD AND BRIDGE BONDS. 
The total road and bridge bonds voted and sold in 1914 amounted to $2,080,742.43. 
The State highway department estimates that $1,524,557.49 was expended from bond 
funds by the various counties and townships. It was impossible to ascertain the 
amount of county and township bonds outstanding at the close of 1914, but according 
to Bulletin 136 of the United States Department of Agriculture, the total county and 
township bonds voted to January 1, 1914, amounted to $8,308,287. If to this is added 
the bonds issued by counties and townships in 1914, and if all of the bonds voted up to 
January 1, 1914, actually were sold, the total outstanding bonds at the close of the 
year 1914 amounted to $10,389,029.43. Detailed information as to county and town- 
ship bonds voted and sold in 1914 and the amounts expended therefrom, also interest 
rates and terms, is presented in Table 59. 
MINNESOTA. 1 
Minnesota has a land area of 80,858 square miles and a total road mileage of 93,517, 
of which 3,967.83 miles, or 4.24 per cent, were surfaced at the close of 1914. 
There is a State highway commission of three members, appointed by the governor. 
The commission appoints a secretary, who must be a civil engineer and practical road 
builder, and is known as State engineer. He serves during the pleasure of the com- 
mission. A deputy and assistant engineers may be employed. The State engineer 
and his deputy and assistants are required to give engineering advice and assistance 
to local road officials, to make all necessary surveys, establish grades, and prepare 
plans and specifications for all State roads. Any county board, subject to the approval 
of the State highway commission, may designate as a State road any established road 
or portion thereof outside the corporate limits of a city, village, or borough, and con- 
struct or improve it in accordance with the regulations of the State highway 
commission. 
A State tax of 1 mill is levied annually, the money from which, together with all the 
money accruing from investments in the internal improvement land fund, and all 
accruing to any State road and bridge fund, however provided, constitutes a general 
State road and bridge fund, which is apportioned by the State highway commission 
to the counties so that no county receives less than 1 or more than 3 per cent 
thereof. The State road and bridge fund is expended only on State roads. The 
portion which is paid by the State out of the allotment to any county as State aid in 
the construction of any road or bridge varies from not less than 80 or more than 90 
per cent in counties having an assessed valuation of less than $5,000,000 to not less 
than 50 or more than 75 per cent in counties having an assessed valuation exceeding 
$15,000,000. Twenty per cent of the apportionment to any county is used exclusively 
for the maintenance of State roads and bridges, the State to pay the same proportion 
of such maintenance cost as it pays for construction or improvement of State roads. 
Actual maintenance work is done by the board of county commissioners, in accordance 
with rules and regulations prescribed by the State highway commission. 
The county board of commissioners of each county has jurisdiction and control over 
county road matters. They may constitute and declare any public highway or road 
in such county outside of an incorporated city or village a county road and direct 
and supervise its construction and maintenance. 
The town board of each town has general care and supervision of all town roads. 
Each town constitutes a road district and the town board appoints a competent road 
overseer who, under its supervision, has charge of the construction and maintenance 
of all town and county roads therein. The town through which any county road 
passes maintains and keeps it in repair. 
1 In collecting the information for Minnesota assistance was rendered by George W. Cooley, State 
highway engineer, and collaborator of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. 
