Show STUDY OF ROAD conditions department of agriculture endeavor ing to discover points of excel lence in road maintenance detailed studies of local road build ing systems 8 stems in counties are now being carried on by bv tho the agricultural department in co cooperation operation with the state highway I 1 departments and local road authorities the purpose of this study la is to ell als cover the points of 0 excellence an and d detects defects in existing local methods method a ot of building and main maintaining roads which bill ald aid the state authorities to put local loca road management on a systematized basis the cooper co operating state authorities have hane been asked to besig nate counties that present I 1 topical pleat and 6 av P T SA TSA g t W f IN v 16 t w y ai w y 0 if f y w A W w macadamized road in west virginia exceptional features as to topography character of 0 road materials methods method of construction and maintenance ad organization ine methods thois of road financing and traffic conditions from these lists counties will be selected and in these counties the ill in vision ision of road economics will nill make studies ohis investigation is PrOn PLed b illie fact that there t Is at I 1 resent vry very little kno knowledge as to the most effective and economical methods by which a count can develop its roads at present the methods of financing local road improvements varv nary from calling on farmers tor for a certain num ber of da dais s labor in lieu of 0 a road tax or the use of county counts prisoners in ili road construction to bond issues or main cenance of reals front from license funds the department will vill stud all ot of these systems si stems with uie the bienn to deter in mining ining what system or combination ot of systems best in actual use there Is more moreover oer at present no standard ot of keeping accounts for road building and main maintenance and as a result while some counties inov nov to a penn the purpose tor for NN which money was nas spent others hiie bie no definite check or reporting system teni amona various counties count lesi with nith the same conditions cost for excavation or other labor is anthina an thing but uniform and man counties because of the ab sence ot of definite knowledge fall to ue local and cheap materials a and n d construct roads which abich are ece asar il ill expensive for their purpose or v aich xa will ill v wear ear out before the bond i sms are redeemed the I 1 tion on will I 1 include a careful baudy ot of tile the use of convict labor in road con st ruction in ili connection with nith the scientific stud the departments en ginders will advise freely nith mith local officials as to improvements and thus give ghe eich each county visited the ad advantage altage antage ot of direct cooperation engineering su au perit sion ind assistance these in investigations es t igat ions it Is bellei believed ed will ill yield important economic data hearing bearing especially on oil the benefit and burdens of road improvement and sho showing NNing the extent to which financial outlay under given typical conditions is justifiable the heads of state highway depart ments are manifesting great interest and are co operating cooperating cordially cordi alli in this work dati when nhen obtained fiill be published and thus made accessible to all county and state road officials |