engineering services, plans, specifications, or give aid in the use of convicts to take part in actual construction or furnish stone broken by convicts-all these states are marked on the map by vertical line shading.

STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT.

While the details of carrying out state-aid differ with the different states, all have state highway departments. Some consist of a single salaried commissioner, or engineer, appointed by the governor or elected by the people; others an unsalaried commission either appointed or ex officio heads of departments of state or state educational institutions; and in others a salaried commission of three persons appointed or elected. But no matter what the form, those states in which the state administration is most highly organized and most fully centralized are doing the most and best work for better roads. As soon as there is a centralized and systematized administrative authority the responsibility for "doing things" is placed upon one, or at the most a few persons, and things begin to be done. If a person knows that the tenure of his office depends upon the quality and quantity of the work accomplished he "sits up and takes notice," he "gets busy." Let there be a recognized head and the efficiency of supervision and labor will immediately improve. Every under officer down to the road overseer should know exactly what is expected of him, how far his authority extends, and be given to understand that to that extent it is "up to him to make good."

Again, by a centralized authority the boundaries of the various soil areas of the state could be mapped, and the character of the soils for road purposes studied, plans and methods devised or adapted for their best treatment in the construction and maintenance of natural roads, and these transmitted to the proper county, township or district officials. It has also been suggested that if uniform plans were used a comparison of unit costs between the various counties would do much toward preventing bridge scandal. With proper instruction and a tenure of office depending on results accomplished, road overseers would cease to be mere uninspired laborers but would become road builders, a spirit of pride and emulation would be engendered, each overseer vying with his neighbor to produce the best road.

While there are many laws, and changes in the present laws, that might be made to better the administration of road affairs in Nebraska, some of which I will briefly mention later, I am of the opinion that the most efficacious for good roads would be the creation of a state highway department and the adoption of the state-aid principle.

I put the two ideas together because I think it not best to take the county road work from the county boards. I believe the state department should be chiefly advisory, the initiative for road improvement, and the actual construction can best be performed by the county boards and the officers under them. These boards will listen to advice relative to road betterment if the obtaining of cash to assist in such betterment

depends upon their listening, otherwise such advice will be treated like much of that excellent advice which now comes from the United States office of public roads, adopted or not, and most generally not, according to the whim of each road officer.

In 1905 the writer, with the help of a few other good road enthusiasts, drafted and had presented a bill for the purpose of creating a state highway department and another to provide for state aid, but both bills were lost at at the end of the session. The state constitution will not allow the creation of new state officers by the legislature, and amending the constitution we have found by experience to be a serious undertaking, so it appeared to the writer at that time best to form a commission like the irrigation board, formed a few years previous. In short, since irrigation and road making are both branches of civil engineering, why not combine the two under one board? In the bills referred to that idea was carried out. Since then it has been suggested that the engineering and agricultural colleges of the State University be made to comprise such commission, with certain professors therein to be designated by the board of regents to act as directors. This is similar to the system in vogue in Iowa. But I am still of the opinion that better results will obtain if the commission is retained at the state house. To be sure certain professors could be appointed as scientists under the state board, just as professors are now appointed as scientists under the Board of Agriculture, and I have no doubt they would give their best endeavors toward a solution of the road problems of the state. I would even go farther and transform the State Board of Irrigation into a Board of Engineering Affairs, and place under its jurisdiction all state engineering work, such as irrigation, state-aid roads, large bridges-for example, those over the Platte river-drainage, etc. All this work would make it requisite that the board have for its secretary an engineer of considerable ability with liberal remuneration.

The bills mentioned were redrafted, remodeled and improved by the senate committee on highways and introduced in the 1909 session. They passed the senate with fair winds and fine sailing, but failed to obtain free passage through the reefs and rocks surrounding the house. I believe the present legislature has enough members interested in good roads to pass these or some other comprehensive road measures, embodying the principles of state supervision and state aid.

The senate committee bills contemplated the creation of a state board of highway commissioners, a state engineer, and carried an appropriation for state aid. They provided for a fair distribution of the funds among the several counties so that no county could gobble up more than its just proportion of the entire amount appropriated. State-aid roads were to be built under the direction and immediate supervision of county boards, the state engineer acting only in the capacity of consulting engineer. Provision was made for assessing 15 per cent to abutting property holders, the remaining cost being paid, 50 per cent by the state and 35 per cent by the county, a very fair and equitable distribution.

COUNTY ENGINEERS.

One paragraph of the Laverty, or senate committee bill, placed some authority for the construction and maintenance of state-aid roads in the hands of the county engineers. And why shouldn't the county engineer be made a more important officer and given considerable authority in the road and bridge work of the county? I have heard it said that such legislation would be opposed by some of the county commissioners because they think they would thereby lose some of their prestige. It seems to me a county board should act as a board of directors, outlining large plans and broad policies for progress, but leaving the details to the other county officers who should be made subservient to them so far as general conduct is concerned, and be obliged periodically to make complete reports to the board for publication. It is even possible that it would conduce to a better and more economical administration of county affairs if the county board could be the only elective county officers, all others being appointed by them, as is done under the commission system of city government. But be that as it may, in those states which seem at present to be making the most progress in road improvement, the tendency is toward the concentration of road administration in the hands of fewer individuals, selecting only those who are skilled and competent, enlarging the scope of their authority and holding them responsible for results.

NEEDED LEGISLATION.

At the risk of infringing on the territory of Senator Banning, who will later discuss the subject of Needed Legislation, I will very briefly cutline a few things that I think the present legislature might do to better our road administration.

First, create a state highway department.

Second, provide for state-aid for the improvement of main traveled

roads.

Third, make it possible for counties, townships and road districts to vote and issue bonds for road improvements.

Fourth, to allow and make provision for the use of state, county and city prisoners in the preparation of road materials, and possibly also in the construction of roads.

Fifth, to place the construction of roads and bridges under the immediate charge of the county engineers, in counties having a county engineer, or a county road superintendent in other counties, who should himself act under the direction of the county board as a city engineer acts under a city council.

Sixth, make road overseers appointive and let them work under the immediate supervision of the county engineer or county road superintendent.

Seventh, make provision for compulsory dragging of earth roads.

Ninth, to place the automobile license, if it be wisdom to make it higher than just sufficient to cover cost of registration, in the road fund.

BONDS FOR ROAD IMPROVEMENT.

I haven't time to expand upon this needed legislation, but our laws are very weak in not making provision for the bonding of counties, townships or districts for constructing roads. The people may raise money by bonding to build jails for the prevention of free social intercourse, but they can't bond for building roads to permit of free social intercourse; they may bond themselves to build railroads upon which to ship their products by an additional payment of freight rates, but they can't bond themselves to build wagon roads for the free transportation of products. It would seem as though our road laws are made to keep us in darkness and despair, to stifle trade and commerce, instead of leading us into the pure sunlight of liberty, and encouraging industry, development and happiness.

USE OF CONVICTS ON ROAD WORK.

In several states, notably the south, convicts have been used in the actual construction of roads. This has proved not only to be more economical than free labor and nearly as efficient, but has been a blessing to the convict himself. Outdoor labor, fresh, pure air, and change of scenery has made a better convict, if you will allow the expression. The state of Georgia keeps about 4,500 of its convicts at work upon the public highways. The states of Virginia and West Virginia furnish convict aid and also money aid. In Illinois a large plant has been established for breaking stone; this is operated by convict labor and the stone is furnished to the several counties free of all charge except for freight. Nebraska will in the next few years need a lot of broken stone for culverts and bridges. Arrangements might be made to obtain it in this way.

COMPULSORY DRAGGING OF EARTH ROADS.

France, which is said to have the most superb system of roads in the world, as well as the best systematized scheme of road administration, maintains its roads by means of patrols. Every mile of road is patrolled every day. Repairs are made as soon as needed. If something of that sort could be applied to our earth roads they would, at small cost, make most magnificient thoroughfares nine or ten months out of every year. Make it someone's business to drag every earth road after every rain, to keep the side drains open and free to carry off the surplus water and Nebraska would have earth roads, not the equal of the best macadam, but something of which to be very proud. Many farmers are voluntarily taking care of a mile or so of roads adjacent to their farms. Of these we expect to hear interesting reports later during this meeting. But it seems hardly fair that these few farmers, in addition to paying their taxes, should find it necessary in order to have passable roads, to keep up these highways at their own expense when they are used and of benefit to the entire community at large. Still the city in which I live requires me to maintain a sidewalk along my property and keep it free