4() BULLETIN 393, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
the county have been improved by grading or have been graded and 
macadamized. Several of these short sections do not connect with 
other improved roads, and this fact, together with the failure of 
White Shoals District to vote the bonds, gives the county a rather 
disconnected system of roads, as shown by the map (Pl. XIII). 
Examples of contrasts on the Powells Valley roads are shown in 
Plate XV. | | 
The roads were constructed according to plans and specifications 
furnished by the. State highway department, and this work, as well 
as the supervision and inspection of construction, was performed by 
a county engineer selected by the State highway department. His 
salary of $2,000, however, was paid by the county out of the funds 
derived from the bond issues. All contracts were let by the State 
highway department and the county board of supervisors, acting 
jointly. 
The board of supervisors consists of five members—one for each 
district. They are selected by the people for terms of 4 years, and 
receive $4 per diem for time actually employed, not to exceed 20 
days per annum. ‘There is one road superintendent in each district, 
appointed by the board of county supervisors... The road superin- 
tendents have charge of repairs. and maintenance, and receive about 
$100 per annum each. In the case of new construction, special 
superintendents are appointed, and receive from $2.50 to $3 per day. 
According to information obtained from the State highway depart- 
ment, it is estimated that there are about 450 miles of road in the 
county, of which 39.26 miles, or 8.7 per cent, were graded and mac- 
adamized under the bond issue to October 1, 1915. In addition to 
this there were 60.19 miles graded but not macadamized, making 
a total of 99.45 miles, or about 22 per cent, graded and _ partly 
macadamized under the bond issue, with State aid in certain cases in 
the form of convict labor. Of the total mileage improved, 69.70 
miles were constructed entirely out of bond-issue funds, but under 
the plan of State aid in effect in Virginia the county will ultimately 
be reimbursed to the extent of one-half of the cost of these roads. 
In building 29.75 miles, a total-of 39,953.75 convict-labor days were 
contributed by the State at an average cost of 53 cents per day, or a 
total of $21,175.48. The cash expenditure by the county on these 
roads was $75,149.24, thus making the average cost of the convict- 
built roads $3,237.79 per mile. Of the roads built with free labor, 
16.63 miles were macadamized, and of the roads built with convict 
labor 22.63 miles were macadamized, but unfortunately no segrega- 
tion is available of detailed cost of the macadamized roads and those 
which were merely graded. However, as an indication of these 
relative costs, it was ascertained that 10.5 miles graded and mac- 
