52 BULLETIN" 389, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
members appointed by the governor for six years each. The commission has charge 
of all matters pertaining to the expenditure of State funds in the improvement of 
public roads and bridges, advises towns, villages, and counties in the construction of 
roads or bridges, makes regulations for surveying, planning, constructing, and inspect- 
ing all roads constructed under the State-aid law, which regulations must be observed 
by counties in order to render them eligible to receive State aid, reviews the prospec- 
tive State highways selected by the county boards and may alter them to make the 
systems of adjoining counties connect into continuous and direct routes, and, on 
request of the county board of any county, takes direct charge of the construction and 
maintenance of State-aid roads and bridges in such county. 
The county board of each county not having already done so is required to select 
a system of prospective county highways to be known as the county system of pros- 
pective State highways and to embrace, at first, not to exceed 15 per cent of the road 
mileage of the county and include the main-traveled roads leading into each town in 
the county. The county and towns together pay not less than 66| per cent of the cost 
of improvement and the State pays the balance. If the county system of prospective 
State highways is constructed by the county and State alone, the county pays 60 per 
cent and the State 40 per cent of the cost. 
All State highways shall be maintained at the expense of the county in which they 
are located, except that such portions as pass through or lie within incorporated vil- 
lages shall be maintained by such villages. The legislature appropriates funds for 
the support of the State highway commission and for State aid, and requires such State 
tax to be levied as is necessary to raise the sums appropriated. The appropriation for 
State aid is apportioned among the counties of the State in proportion to the ratio 
which the assessed valuation of each county bears to the total assessed valuation of 
the State and is used for the purpose of improving the county system of prospective 
State highways. 
By an act passed in 1915, there is appointed by the railroad commission of Wisconsin, 
subject to approval by the governor, a State chief engineer who is required to have a 
general knowledge of the subject and profession of engineering and may be removed 
by the governor for cause after hearing. The chief engineer has charge of and super- 
vision over all engineering or architectural work performed by or for the State or by 
or for any of the departments, boards, or commissions of the State, and is required 
to furnish engineering and architectural services to any branch or department of the 
State government upon request. 
Each county board annually elects a committee of not less than three nor more than 
five members, to be known as the county State road and bridge committee. Such 
committee is authorized to purchase and sell county-road machinery, as authorized 
by the county board, to determine whether each piece of State road and bridge con- 
struction in the county shall be let by contract or done by day labor and to enter into 
such contracts, to direct the expenditure of all maintenance funds, to audit all claims 
in connection with the construction of State-aid roads and bridges, to assist in the 
letting and to approve all contracts for county-aid bridges costing over $500. 
The county board of each county selects a county highway commissioner, who must 
pass examination by the State highway commission. The county highway commis- 
sioner has charge, under the direction of the county committee, of the construction of 
all highways built with State or county aid and of the maintenance of all State high- 
ways. He is required to make an annual report to the State highway commission and 
to the county board. 
Whenever any highway, road or street passes through or connects two or more towns, 
cities, villages or parts thereof, the county board may adopt the same as a trunk road 
for the purpose of improving it. In order to improve such road an assessment district 
may be formed which may include property not abutting upon such highway, road, 
or street, but tributary thereto and benefited thereby. One-third of the cost of im- 
