The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-05-02
BODYBUILDING IN THIS
COUNTRY.

construction IN tWcnty-nlilc 81 the
states Of this country and IN the
District Of Columbia last year
were $G2,69l ,429 The other
states, from which figures were
not o~btainablc, either have no or
ganized road departments, no
system Of accounts disclosing the
figures, or are still in an expert
mental stage. II appears from an
article in The Automobile that
New York list year spent more
money than any other state IN the
union" the sum for the year hay-
ing beer about $i5,OOO,0OO More
than 1900 miles Of new road were
built and more than 10000 were
shaped, crowned, and standard
lied as TO Width" OF the 10000
miles Of roads in this state 1000
are cIassed as improved roads"
Illinois, with a greater mileage
100000 niles, spent last year
$7,5OO,0OO Only about 10 per cent
Of the mileage in Illinois is classed
as improved, the remaining 3d.
900 miles being simply dirt roads,
but many Of these are excellent
and well cared for, Facts as to
roads in some OF the other states
are given as follows in The Auto
mobile.
Iowa has a total Of 10000 miles
Of highway, upon which it has
spent during the past year 81
100000. There are but $500 miles
Of impOved high gay in the state,
Of which a very small percentage
is macadam. There are between
1000 and 1900 miles Of stone road
in the state, while the remaining
100000 miles are dirt. Scattered
sections of the roads are faced
with gravel or some bitumlnous
material Most Of the roads built
during 1912 were dirt, the small
percentage Of gravel and similar
roads being negligible in compar-
sion.
Washington has 39,O62 miles
Of highway. OF this 1896 are
improved; 1926 miles Of the i'm
proved roads are mostly gravel,
the total mileage Of macadam
being but 1874. During 1912 there
we're 400 miles of new roads built,
They were chiefly gravel, with
some bituminous macadam, water
bound macadam, brick and con-
crete. The mileage Of highway
improved last year is 2OOO, the
work done being chiefly regrad-
ing, GROWING, and draining, and
in some cases by the addition of a
hard surface. The cost per mile
VI improved highway was approx
imately $3.50 per mile for the year
of 1912.
Kansas is another state which
spent considerable money during
the year of 1912 on roads. There
are 5000 miles of Highway in the
state, of which but $50 miles are
improved. The remaining 1880
are principally dirt, In the con-
struction of new roads and main
tenance of the old state spent 81
975,OO0. The total Of miles of inn
proved highway, as given above,
does not include the improved
dirt roads, which comprise the
majority Of those listed in the
mileage above, The state spent
about $50 per mile of road, which
would indicate that very little
work was done through vast sec
tons of the state, and that it was
possible to do what repairing was
necessary at a very low figure on
account Of the great mileage of
the dirt roads.
Mississippi has a total road
mileage Of 44,072. OF this 1000
miles are improved. Of the inn
proved roads 40 miles are maca-
dam, 80 miles are crushed stone,
and about 500 miles are gravel,
of all the Improvement
work on road-building varies
throughout the different counties
of Mississippi, but on an average
is somewhere in the neighborhood
Of $50 per mile according to Stats
tics furnished by the department
Of agriculture aud commerce.
Mississippi spent $2,500,000 for
during the past year, This
makes an average of $500 per
mile of improved road, including
the new roads built.
Pennsylvania has a total road
mileage of 5000, Of which SCI
miles have been constructed by
the state highway department.
During the year ending Septem-
Der |, 1912, $500 miles of road
had been repaired and put in good
condition for travel. -Four million
dollars have been spent on the
construction Of the new roads and