siderable diplomacy is required on the part of any
administrative authority if his contact with other officials is to be
without friction. This is especially true in connection with the
formulation of a policy regarding the types of construction to be
adopted for an improvement. The responsibility for the selection is
variously placed on the township, county or state authority, the laws
not being uniform in this respect. If state or federal funds are
allotted to an improvement, the state authority either makes the
selection of the type of construction or the selection is made by some
subordinate authority subject to the approval of the state highway
department. Where the improvement is paid for exclusively with
township or county funds, the selection is often made by the township
or county authority without review by higher authority. Many abuses
have crept into highway administration through the unscrupulous
methods of promoters of the sale of road materials or road machinery.
A great deal of the selling activity of the agents for these
commodities is entirely irreproachable, but it is well known that such
is not always the case. As a result, the tendency of legislation is to
require the state highway department to approve contracts for
materials or construction entered into by the township or county
authorities. The state highway departments can secure the requisite
technical experts to determine the merits of materials and equipment
and, in spite of some glaring examples of inefficiency or worse, have
made a good record for impartiality and integrity as custodians of the
funds for which they are responsible.

HIGHWAY FINANCE

The paramount problem in highway administration is the development of
an adequate financial plan for carrying on road improvement. The
necessary expenditures are enormous, although the money so expended is
probably much less than the actual benefit resulting from the
improvements.

=Special Assessments.=--There is presumed to be a direct and
recognized benefit conferred on farm lands by the construction of
improved highways adjacent thereto. Therefore, it is equitable to
charge a part of the cost against the lands so benefited.

The principle of paying for public improvements by a special
assessment upon private property has been long established and a large
proportion of the public improvements in the cities and towns have
been made financially possible through the medium of special
ass