EOAD MILEAGE, CENTEAL AND WESTERN STATES. 37 
may appoint a board of from one to three road commissioners for each district to have 
like duties as those prescribed for the supervisor. The respective boards of county 
highway commissioners were required by law to lay out and designate, on or before 
September 1, 1913, the roads in the county which accommodated the greatest amount 
of travel and were of most importance to the people generally. Such roads were to 
be designated as main county roads. The board also was required to designate the 
other roads in the county accommodating general public travel, and these roads were 
to be designated as general county roads. Where the cost of any work of improvement 
exceeds $500, it is the duty of the board of county highway commissioners to have 
plans and specifications prepared therefor, and to let the same to contract to the lowest 
responsible bidder. 
For the purpose of creating a fund to be known as the county road and bridge fund, 
to be used in the construction, repair, and maintenance of county roads and bridges, 
and the purchase of necessary machinery and equipment, the county boards of com- 
missioners are authorized to issue bonds of their respective counties in an amount 
not to exceed 3 per cent of the total assessed value of real and personal property 
therein, after having submitted the proposition for a majority vote of the qualified 
electors. 
The boards of county commissioners are authorized, on petition of a majority of 
the taxpayers of any township, or townships, to divide such township or townships 
into a road district or road districts. Road districts so created shall be disorganized 
by the board of county commissioners upon petition of a majority of the taxpayers. 
Road funds for such districts are obtained by applying thereto the net proceeds of 
the county's proportion of all poll taxes collected from citizens residing within such 
road district, and also the proceeds of the one-fourth of one per cent county road 
taxes levied and collected within such district; and, when a majority of the property 
holders of the district shall petition the county commissioners so to do, an additional 
special tax may be levied in an amount not to exceed §3 on each $1,000 valuation; 
provided, that persons liable to such special tax may pay a part or all of it in labor 
on the roads at the rate of $3 for each full day's work with tools and implements, 
S4 for each team of two animals and §1 for each additional animal. 
The legislature has passed at different times laws designating certain roads to be 
State highways and imposing upon the respective boards of county commissioners 
the duty of constructing and maintaining such highways. 
A general county road tax of not to exceed one-fourth of one per cent upon the 
taxable property of the county is authorized to be levied by the board of county 
commissioners and the proceeds expended in each district in proportion to the amount 
collected therein. The net proceeds from the registration and licensing of motor 
vehicles is applied to the maintenance of roads in the several counties, each county 
being entitled to such proportion of the fund as was collected therein. 
Provision is made for the working of both county and State convicts upon the 
highways. Such detail, however, is voluntary on the part of the convict. An 
appropriation has been made to create a general road fund from which to pay the 
expenses incident to the working of State convicts on the roads. 
ROAD MILEAGE. 
At the close of 1915 Nevada had 12,182 miles of public road, of which 262 miles, 
or 2.14 per cent, were surfaced. Of the surfaced roads 193 miles were gravel, 67 
miles sand- clay, and 2 miles macadam. There were also reported 1,080 miles of 
graded and drained earth road. In 1909 Nevada reported 12,751 miles of public roads, 
of which only 46 miles, or 0.36 per cent, were surfaced, a gain in surfaced mileage the 
6-year period of 216 miles. Detailed information regarding road mileage in 1914 is 
presented by counties in Table 20. 
