Real facts and conditions locally could be reliably obtained from rural-route carriers, good-road. engineers, and experts in the employ of the Federal Government, as well as from local road or highway commissioners and other local authorities.

G. A. M'ILHENNY, SECRETARY ROAD COMMISSION, FOREST.

(1) For each State, county, or district where there is a bond issue or direct tax levy in compliance with State laws, for the purpose of building and maintaining a permanent highway, under direction of a competent engineer and supervision of properly constituted officers, the Federal Government should contribute an amount equal to 20 per cent of the total estimate for construction and a proportionate amount for maintenance of post roads.

The good-roads department should also furnish a consulting engineer when requested to pass on specifications and advise means and methods for upkeep of all roads so constructed. The 20 per cent for construction should apply to roads now under construction, and the 20 per cent for maintenance should apply to all permanently constructed post roads.

Government aid should be given to post roads, whether built by States, county, district, or jointly. Roads built by subscription, where there is no bond issue or tax levy for maintenance, should not receive Government aid, because, as a rule, they are poorly built and neglected. The roads and official acts of those in charge should always be open to inspection by a Government representative, to see that the funds have been properly expended.

The Government should be guaranteed good faith on the part of the county or district and supplied with transcripts of all proceedings, under oath, up to date of application for Government aid and at any subsequent time on request of the proper United States official.

(2) Eighty per cent of the cost of construction and maintenance. Chapters 145, 174, and 257, Laws of Mississippi, 1912, would cover necessary legislation, and would permit the commissioners or supervisors to cooperate with the Federal Government. It would, however, be optional with local officials as to whether national aid would be asked or not. There could be an act passed, however, authorizing cooperation with the Federal Government.

(3) On post roads built and maintained by tax or bond issue under proper supervision.

(4) Both. (See first answer.)

(5) Federal supervision should go far enough to see that the appropriation is properly expended, and to see that the local appropriation is expended properly in proportion to Federal appropriation as the work progresses. The Federal Government being now jointly interested, should have at all times free access to all records and given every facility for thorough inspection of work as well as of all records and accounts.

Summary of conditions favorable to Government aid: Bond issue by State, county, or district; laws compelling tax levies for maintenance; properly prepared plans and specifications; legally constituted commissioners or officials in charge; feasible routes for United States mail; when combined funds are adequate; when the State laws guarantee permanency.

(6) I would suggest that where the State, county, or district elects to issue bonds or provides a tax levy for the purpose of building and maintaining a permanent highway on star routes or rural freedelivery routes and the law under which it is proposed guarantees permanency, and the officials in charge ask Federal aid, on properly prepared forms, the Office of Good Roads should send a representative to look the route over, pass on the feasibility, the adequacy of the combined appropriation to build and maintain, advise with local authorities relative to road rules, and mode of travel looking to the protection of the road. When plans and specifications and contract form have been prepared by the engineer in charge, a Federal representative should be present when adopted or a certified copy furnished the department.

When work is done by contract not more than 80 per cent of the engineer's estimate of the work done should be paid as the work progresses, the other 20 per cent reserved until final acceptance. These estimates should be monthly, and the pay warrants covering the 80 per cent of estimates should be drawn pro rata on the local and Federal funds, applying strictly to the contract. Other expenses covering the month should be drawn in full pro rata on the two funds, and in the final settlement the other 20 per cent could be drawn pro rata on the two funds.

When possible a Federal representative should be present when the route is adopted, when plans and specifications are adopted, when contract is let, and on final acceptance of the road. A map in detail showing roads receiving national aid should be filed by local authorities with national good roads department.

It is difficult to formulate a workable plan that will fit existing laws in the different States. My idea would be for you to formulate a plan along the lines suggested, submit the proposition to each State, and the State could then, where necessary, so amend its laws as to enable the districts, counties, or States to cooperate with the Government. In the meantime I want to say that our people have great respect for the opinion of a representative from the good roads department, and one of the greatest works the department can do is to send a representative into each county who can present the Government proposition, look over the mail routes, and advise with the people. That was done in this district, and had it not been done the people would perhaps never have united on this proposition. The result is we have a bond issue of $75,000 on a little over a $1,000,000 assessment. Two department men came in here and started us off. Now we have the very valuable aid of Mr. J. T. Bullen, from the department, as consulting engineer, although our engineer in charge is a very competent man. We have used Mr. Bullen along the lines above suggested. His presence has inspired confidence, and the results have emboldened me to make the above suggestions.

MISSOURI.

J. B. GRIGG, SECRETARY MISSOURI HIGHWAY ASSOCIATION, JEFFERSON CITY.

(1) We have no general plan to submit for Federal aid at the present time, as we have no State highway department to give ex

pression to plans which would be in any way State authority. Our association is now endeavoring to mold public opinion in the direction of creating, by the incoming legislature, a State highway department. If we are successful in our purpose, we will have our State commissioner, when appointed, give the matter his attention and submit his suggestions.

(2) My opinion is that one-third the cost of construction should be furnished by Government aid and two-thirds by the State or local authorities.

(3) Federal aid should be extended for the construction only of permanent rock roads, built according to the latest approved methods of construction.

(4) There should be the same division of cost for maintenance as for construction. Construction without a provision for a fund for maintenance is a waste of money.

(5) There should be entire Federal supervision of the construction of roads by Government aid to insure uniform character of roadbed and surfacing. Maintenance could be left to the supervision of State authorities under advice from the Federal authority.

(6) For the same reason expressed in answer to question number one we can not at this time submit a workable plan for Federal and State cooperation in construction and maintenance. We are heartily in favor of Federal aid to States in road construction, and we regret that we are unable at the present time to authoritatively assist in submitting plans to that end. Our people are very much alive to the fact that they must do something to bring about a more systematic plan of road building than has been in force, and we feel quite sure that our incoming legislature will assist our efforts in harmonizing and crystalizing public opinion to the end that we will have State aid administered through a State highway department.

NEW HAMPSHIRE.

S. PERCY HOOKER, STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF HIGHWAYS, CONCORD. (1) As to a general plan upon which this Federal aid should be given:

Federal aid should be given in conjunction with and through the various State highway departments. States not having such departments should be required to establish them prior to any such aid. It should be distributed on the basis of the mileage of road within the State, the gross amount of such aid being determined for each State. All roads within a State should be classified into five classes: 1. Municipal or compact portion. 2. Through roads. 3. Secondary roads. 4. Subsidiary roads. 5. Local roads.

Classes 1 and 5 should receive no Federal aid and should not be considered in the total State mileage. The classification of such roads. should take into account: (1) Population, (2) volume of local traffic, (3) volume of through traffic. The latter to be determined by the particular circumstances which will tend to make this road particularly needed as an adjunct to interstate and interurban traffic. A system of units might be devised which would establish a mathematical system by which the classes of roads might be determined.

(2) To what extent the plan should require the State or local authorities to contribute to the amount of money appropriated, and to what extent you think your State or local authorities would be willing to cooperate with the Federal Government?

Federal aid should be contingent upon the contribution by the State or local authorities of at least an equal amount. The Federal Government should have nothing to do with the subcontribution of a municipality, the State standing sponsor for a contribution of an equal amount, though this could be raised or levied in such manner as the State government should desire.

I think if the plan as eventually worked out was satisfactory the State of New Mampshire would be glad to enter into the plan of Federal aid. This, it will be understood, is simply a personal opinion and should be not understood as expressing the views of the legislature and governor.

(3) On what character of roads should the amount appropriated by the Federal Government be used?

The roads having been classified as contemplated before the State governments should be allowed to choose which class of roadway should be improved and select the locations.

The mileage of these classes to be improved to be determined by the gross amount available in State and Federal funds. (That is, the State might select where they desired 30 miles in class 3, or 10 miles in class 1.)

(4) Should the amount appropriated be limited to construction or maintenance, or be given jointly for construction and maintenance? The money should be devoted to both construction and maintenance, such maintenance to be confined to the sections built by Federal aid.

A certain amount per mile might be set aside by the Federal Government for such maintenance, varying with the construction class. A State government should be required to submit an estimate showing the amount required for maintenance for the ensuing year on each road constructed under Federal aid and should be required to furnish the money in excess of the Federal aid for such maintenance. The Federal Government should have the right, if the State department. neglected any road built under the act, to repair, rebuild, and properly maintain the same, the cost thereof to be charged to the State and all moneys available for maintenance or construction withheld with the amount of cost thereof.

The Federal Government always being able to recoup itself for any expenditures made necessary by the laxity of the State govern

ment.

(5) To what extent, if aid is given, should there be Federal supervision?

Federal Government should have employees located with each State highway department who should in conjunction with that department pass upon plans, specifications, etc., and report upon the actual carrying out of these plans. He should not be clothed with any authority which would bring him into direct contact with the contractor.

If in his judgment the State department. was not carrying out the views of the Federal Government he should in writing advise the State officials and the Federal department and the latter should have

the right to withhold any money available for such construction when the practices used are not approved by it.

(6) Submit a detailed plan workable for Federal and State cooperation in construction and maintenance.

A Federal Government should require the classifications of roads as outlined above in each State and should adopt such means to verify the figures and classifications of the State departments as seemed

necessary.

The total amount available should be divided by the number of miles in the classes entitled to State aid and the State department should then be informed of the total amount available for Federal aid.

The department should prepare specifications for varied characters of road, the use of any one of which would be satisfactory to the Government upon the class of road indicated. That is, on class 2, they might draw specifications for paving, bituminous, or concrete construction. For class 3, macadam, with or without a bituminous surface application, subbase roads requiring a lesser amount of crushed stone, etc. For class 4, gravel or screened gravel. With the various classes different culverts might be required.

The State department should then advise the Federal Government that the portion of money which was to be contributed by it was available.

The State department should next advise the Federal as to the location of the various roads which it desired to build under Federal aid. It should indicate the type of road, within the classification, which it desired to use upon this section of highway. The plans should then be gone over by the Federal employee in the State department and passed upon by him. Contracts might be then let by the State department subject to approval of the Federal employee. All payments should be made primarily by the State government.

Upon the completion of any road it should be subject to Federal inspection as to whether it had been built in accordance with the plans and specifications elected, and if satisfactory should be accepted by the Federal Government, who should thereupon remit to the State department its proportion of such cost.

It seems to me that the essential part of Federal aid should be that of advice to the State departments and a further seal of its approval prior to its expending any money. It is essential that there be no divided responsibility as to the carrying out of the plans of the Federal Government and it seems that it would be unwise to allow its employees to have any direct supervision because of the added engineering and supervision cost which would practically be in addition to the necessary ones of the State department.

It is imperative that as large a per cent of the money as possible go into the actual construction of a road rather than to the expense of employees and the creation of a gigantic department which must of necessity be unwieldy and the head of which can personally know little about the execution except through reports from his subordinates.

I realize that with the extremely varying opinions as to methods of Federal aid that very little attention can be given to a separate plan. I presume that a workable plan might be settled upon which