ROAD MILEAGE, REVENUES, SOUTHERN STATES, 1914. 27 
miles. All funds for the building of State roads are provided by 
State bond issues. The State roads commission is required to main- 
tain all State roads and is authorized to adopt such method therefor 
as it may deem best, and to employ necessary engineers, assistants, 
and other employees. A State tax of 1 cent on each $100 of taxable 
property is levied to provide a fund for the maintenance and repair 
of State roads. This fund is supplemented by 80 per cent of the net 
revenues derived from the registration and licensing of motor vehicles. 
Provision is made for the granting of State aid to counties. Appli- 
cation for State aid in the improvement of any roads in a county 
shall be made by the county board of commissioners to the State 
roads commission. The commission shall cause necessary surveys, 
plans, and specifications to be made when such State aid work is 
approved and undertaken. The work is done by contract let by the 
county board of commissioners after due advertisement, subject to 
the approval of the State roads commission. The commission has 
immediate supervision of work done under contracts. Roads so 
improved are thereafter county roads and the county is required to 
maintain them to the satisfaction of the State roads commission, 
and any county failing to so maintain such roads shall not thereafter 
receive any State aid. In case of neglect on the part of the county 
to so maintain such roads, five taxpayers may apply to the circuit 
court for a writ of mandamus to compel the county commissioners 
to maintain the road. 
Where State-aid work is undertaken, one-half of the cost thereof 
is to be paid by the State and one-half by the county, but no county 
shall receive in any year a larger proportion of the total amount 
appropriated for State aid that year than the proportion which the 
then existing miles of public roads in said county bears to the then 
existing total mileage of public roads in all counties of the State 
applying for State aid, unless an unallotted balance remains, in which 
event, said balance shall be apportioned in the same manner as the 
original appropriation among the counties which have not received 
the full amount of State aid for which application has been made. 
State-aid funds are provided by direct appropriations from the State 
treasury. 
Jurisdiction over all county road and bridge matters is vested in 
the respective boards of county commissioners, who appoint road 
supervisors in those counties having road supervisors and may, when 
they shall deem it to the public interest, appoint an engineer to 
supervise and direct all road and bridge construction and repair work. 
All applications for opening, altering, or closing public roads are 
required to be by petition to the county board of commissioners. 
No general road or bridge tax levy is provided in any of the counties, 
the levy varying in each county as determined by the county board 
