ECONOMIC SURVEYS OF COUNTY HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT. AD 
Additional exp enses—Continued. 
‘S) QUCSP GSTS S09 116 Me RE See ea I eg. earns Seer gee $285. 85 
ible AbimepasP Male ete oar ete ee eee ees 130. 00 
inerdentals (shovels,repairs, ete.)o1- 8 ee 21. 87 
JERNGOCUDS, Case 5 eee a gy eee cae maaan oe et cere Tanna 64. 35 
Hauling water'for traction engine........_...2..........=-... 25 
pi oie he eek pee Cente se $1, 841.79 
Gamoanopale yee tt wees Ah Rl ee ene eae e 6, 054. 64 
Awerazecast perme (forthe 10 miles)... 2.25 .. 2... ie $605. 46 
Merare cosh MenenUare VARO a3) o.oo. oes ho ee $0. 072 
Total number of square yards treated up to April, 1914................... 125, 072 
Morakeosteeee ee ee ye EE Shag es $9, 182. 38 
Average coswpermile overentite 15 miles 2.2.20.) 5252 22s 2 $612.16 
Euctace Casi menegMare yard sce. 28.2522 0 24 eee ees $0. 073 
The material was purchased and applied by contract at a fixed 
charge per square yard. The cost of this treatment and all addi- 
tional expenses shown above were paid by the county from the bond- 
issue funds. : 
When roads begin to show signs of wear they are patched and 
re-treated. About one-fourth gallon of the material per square yard 
is used in the second treatment and the cost averages about $400 per 
mile, which includes $20 to $25 per mile for patching. The second 
treatment and all subsequent repairs are paid for out of the main- 
tenance funds. ) 
For keeping ditches open and for taking care of other small repairs, 
one man is constantly employed in Beat 1. He furnishes a horse, 
wagon, and small tools and is paid $80 per month. Extra labor is 
employed to assist him when necessary. 
The sand-clay roads are worked over with road machines and 
dragged with split-log drags as often as necessary. The bond-built 
roads are maintained under the direction of the county highway 
- commission, with the approval of the county board of supervisors. 
There are no toll roads in the county. 
EFFECT OF ROAD IMPROVEMENT ON LAND VALUES. 
The taxable valuation in Lauderdale County in 1911 was 
$15,839,185, including the city of Meridian and the railroad property, 
and had increased in 1914 to $20,095,110.50. As the road improve- 
ment would have no direct bearing upon the assessed valuations of 
city and railroad property, a comparison of real-estate values outside 
the city of Meridian would afford more illuminating information in 
this connection. Such comparison shows that in 1911 the total 
assessed valuation of real property outside of the city was $2,757,546 
and that it had increased in 1914 to $3,183,809, an increase during 
this period of road improvement of 15.4 per cent. A rather striking 
