ALBERT C. RITCHIE, GOVERNOR. 17

458. All office expenses, cost of books, necessary filing de-
vices and stationery shall be paid out of the General Road and
Bridge Fund as hereinafter provided.

463. Said Commissioners shall have prepared by the
County Surveyor an official road map of the county/ upon
which shall be designated all county roads and the distance
between intersections of roads or prominent thereon; when-
ever a new road shall be opened or accepted or an old road
altered or closed its location or the fact that it has been altered
or closed shall be properly designated on said map. Said
Commissioners may, at their discretion, have fingerboards or
sign posts placed at road crossings or intersections designating
the distance to the nearest prominent point and may give suit-
able names to the county roads and change the same as they
may see fit. It shall be the duty of said Commissioners to
foster public interest in the public roads and, to this end,
encourage the formation of road improvement associations
and to hold not less than four public meetings in each year in
different parts of the county for the discussion of road mat-
ters ; reasonable notice of said meetings to be given by adver-
tisement, and such meetings to be attended by the Roads
Engineer and at least one member of the Board of County
commissioners.

Said County Commissioners shall have the power to let out
the repair or maintenance of any road or portion of a road
by contract when in the judgment of said Roads Engineer,
such course is deemed advisable, in which case preference
shall be given, where practicable, to the owners of land di-
rectly interested in the proper care of such road or roads, and
such work shalll be done under the. supervision of said Roads
Engineer. Whenever any taxpayer of the county shall offer
to haul stone or other hard material upon any public road of
his district at the price paid for the same on such road or in
such locality, the County Commissioners shall give such tax-
payer the preference provided such stone or other hard ma-
terial is in condition for spreading on the road when hauled,
if so required by the County Commissioners, and that its qual-
ity is approved by the Roads Engineer for use on the road
upon which it is proposed to be used. All contracts made by
the County Commissioners for the repair or construction of
roads or bridges shall be reduced to writing and all payments.