50 BULLETIN 387, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
highway inspector, whose duty it was to study the road conditions 
of the State and report to the governor. Prior to the meeting of 
the legislature in 1909 the governor appointed a commission to re- 
write the road laws, and at the legislative session of that year an act 
was passed establishing a department of the State government to 
be known as the office of public roads, and creating the office of 
State commissioner of public roads, all of which, however, was -abol- 
ished in 1911. 
In the legislative session of 1913 a law was enacted establishing 
the State road bureau, which consists of the professor in charge of 
the railroad and highway department of the State university, who 
is the chief road engineer and the chairman, the director of the ex- 
periment station at the State university, and two additional mem- 
bers appointed by the governor. The chief road engineer, with the 
approval of the State road bureau, is authorized to select such cleri- 
cal and engineering help as may be necessary. Salaries and expenses 
in connection with the State road bureau are paid from the univer- 
sity funds, and from appropriations by the legislature. 
The State road bureau has general supervision of the location, 
construction, and maintenance of all public roads in the State so far 
as may be consistent with the authority over said roads otherwise 
conferred by the constitution or statutes. It prescribes rules and 
regulations not inconsistent with law concerning the duties of 
road engineers and their employees, and aids county road engineers 
and their employees by giving advice and preparing plans and speci- 
fications for road and bridge work. A school of instruction for county 
road engineers is required to be held for at least 10 days each year 
by the State road bureau, and the county road engineers are required 
to attend and are authorized to receive from their respective counties 
the actual expenses incurred thereby. 
The State road bureau is authorized to establish and maintain stone 
quarries, crushers, and brick kilns, and may employ the State convict 
road force in the preparation of road materials. The State convict 
road force also may be worked on the public roads. 
County courts have jurisdiction over all matters pertaining to 
the public roads and bridges in their respective counties. The 
county court of each county may appoint some practical road 
builder or civil engineer as county road engineer. In the event 
the county court shall not appoint a county road engineer, it may 
appoint a competent man as road supervisor for each magisterial 
district. Upon petition of 50 legal voters of the county who are 
freeholders, the county court shall cause a vote to be taken upon 
the question as to whether there shall be appointed a county road 
engineer or one road supervisor for each magisterial district of 
the county. Each magisterial district is divided by the county 
