Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1913-07-31
GOOD ROAD WORK IN KANSAS
Nearly s75o,ooo Spent by Highway De-
partment in 1912-Englneer
Losh Reviews. Year.

The business Of the state highway
department at the Kansas Agrlcultu-
raj college aggregated nearly three
fourths million dollars in 1912. That
was the value Of the bridge and road
work done, says the Kansas Indus
trialist. 1t was a record for that de-
partment. Its work was more than
,trebed. What has been accomplished
in the last year by the highway de-
; partment is contained In an address
by A. r. Losh, assistant highway en-
! gineer, before a recent meeting Of the
Kansas Good Roads association.
During the past year." eaid Mr..
Losh, the work Of the state engineers
Office has more than trebled, though
the small force and limited appropria.
ton has greatly restricted its useful
ness. While all requests have received
attention, the work in many cases has
been delayed owing to the great de-
mand for services. But In no case
have township or county officials de-
cided to do without the engineer pro
vided by state rather than wait until
their work could receive his attention.
During the year inspections and re-
ports have been made on 100 miles of
roads and 275 bridges.
This is q summary Of the engineer
ing work done by this Office during the
year:
Plans and specifications for bridge
work finished or under cOnstruc-
lion ltO,OOO
Plans and specifications for bridge
work not contracted, ....,.,...... 10000
Plans and specifications fer road
WOlk OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. ZJ,Vvl
age work under construction $1,000
lie drainage DECENTRALIZATION. ~ 7CO.
Consulting and supervising engi-
neer to highway officials on
bridge work being done on plans
not furnished by the state, ag-
, gregatlng value ot.."........... 76.cO'
Board Of arbitration OF bridge case
1 In Smith county, inVOly!uS,...... q %, 90,
l Mitchell county involvlng. &c.,. GOO,
} Inspection Of bridge work In Nor
, ton county. involving ....,.."..... 1900
! Valuation OF public property on
, which services have been fur
nished .....................,....,. 500
"In the campaign for good roads
, speakers have been furnished for 40;
, meetings, addressing a total of 81, OOt
persons; two good roads trains have
been concluded; 10000 bulletins
= tracts, or other publications have beer
distributed; and every county ant
7 township board in the state has re
. ceived an offer OF assistance in 1T
] local problems
I'VE are spending more money thar
ever before on our highways, ant
while there is great waste due Il
mismanagement and lack OF prope
/, supervision, we are getting a marke'
improvement in our roads.
During the past year the township
spent for read and culvert work So
:. 20i,5S5. There was also spent In 80
counties S59ii11 for county roads an
in 20 counties s4O1 $40 for bridges. L
these 22 counties II was found tina
, this year the bridge expenditures II
, creased 1851 per cent. over the avel
age for the past three years. In tn
, remaining SO counties, II an increas
: Of ten per cent. in expenditures |
assumed the amount spent on count
, bridges wouldf6e about S77S,42A Tn
total amount of funds spent on tn
: highway in 1912 was about S4,975,69t
There will be approximately s5.250,00
: of highway funds available for 1913.
"A review of the year gives a decit
: ed optimistic outlook for future prof
ress. Good Roads has become
) household topic in Kansas. No othe
: subject is receiving the attention G
= consideration as does that OF bette
= highways. More progress has bee
i made than in any previous yea
" Probably more has been accomplishe
: during the past two years than in I'll
70 previous so years Kansas has been
: state. What we most need before TIL
=, association assemblies next year is
:" completely new bridge law; fe
~ changes In the present road law, or
revision that will give more bus
y nesslike system OF administration;
- state highway department that ca
:, give more assistance; provisions fC
o state aid; and an automobile tax Il
= road purposes"