Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-10-12
FREE RURAL DELIVERY,
Good Roads Are an Absolutely Ne
cesspry Pre-Requisite.

4
tention Of the farmers Of Georgia to the
necessity for good roads, and, in season
and out, has urged the wisdom Of pay
ing greater attention to this most i'm
portant matter.
But here Is a point brought out by
Col. A. w. Machen, superintendent Of
the United States free delivery system,
that will appeal to every farmer who
appreciates the rural mail delivery. It
is fully explained in an article in The
Louisville Post, which says:
The policy Of the postof11ce depart
ment. with regard to the establishment
Of the service has changed. At first
rural free delivery was an experiment,
and the restrictions were not regarded
as in place. But the system has passed
to the permanent stage. Now no route
will be put in pending the improvement
Of the roads. No route will be permit
ted to open until all the roads upon the
route are in good condition. The mail
carrier is not to be forced to make his
way through mud hub deep and almost
Impossible, as in some cases during for
mer winters and wet seasons.
| The policy of the department is to see
that the roads are good before free de-
livery Of mail is granted to any COM
munity.
The policy Of the department, more
than that, Is to see that those routes
now in operation, pending improve
ments Of roads by landowners, are not
neglected by those who are pledged for
their betterment. If 1t Is found that
roads remain unimproved a reasonable
time, the rural carrier will be called of
the route, and the daily mail service
will be abandoned on the neglected
roads.
The officers in charge Of the rural free
delivery system are as much interested
in good raods as Is the good roads bu-
reau Of the agricultural department at
Washington. Good roads are a neces-
sity where the rural carrier must pass.
If a county does not possess good roads,
that county will in future have hard
time securing routes, and will have a
harder time keeping routes that may
now be operating over poor roads. Poor
roads make the mail service very un-
satisfactory, and it is the tendency to
blame the service and the department
rather than to lay the blame at the
proper door.
The following letter was recently
/ 90 La
gresham from the Eleventh district, Of
Indiana, from the Hon. A. w. Machen,
general superintendent of the free de-
livery system. It is official and will lie
read with interest:
Mr.: MAcHENs LETTER.
"The temporary suspension Of service
last winter and spring on number of
rural free delivery routes in the west
ern states on account Of the impossible
condition Of the roads brought forcibly
to the attention Of the department the
necessity Of good roads in connection
with the rural free delivery service. At
that time the local authorities were in
formed that unless the roads were i'm
proved before the return Of winter
there would be danger Of permanent
withdrawal Of the rural free delivery
service. Reports show that the advice
Of the department has been needed in
many instances. In one locality, which
I recall, favorable action was taken by
the township trustee by appropriating
an amount Of money for the improve
ment Of roads over which the rural car
rier travels.
while the actual suspensions Of SER
vice on account Of impossible roads
were few comparatively speaking, there
were a great many cases in which the
poor condition Of the roads made 1t very
difficult to provide an efficient service
and in which the service was performed
only by dint Of perseverance on the part
Of the carrier. backed up by the deter
mination Of the department to deliver
mail whenever 1t was possible. It Is
readily seen that the condition Of the
roads becomes very important con-
sideration in the establishment Of rural
free delivery. Where the roads are
good route 27 or 80 miles In length
may be more easily served than anoth-
err route Of 18 or 20 miles over poor
roads.
"In the first case more people are
served, the service is performed more
expeditiously and with much more ease
by the carrier and his horse. The car
rier, too. can establish a regularity Of
service enabling the farmers to know
just about what time every day he will
arrive in front Of their premises.
"In the second instance. with the
short route over bad roads as much
| time Is consumed in serving smaller
number Of patrons, the regularity Of the
service varies with the changing con-
ditions of the roads. the work Is more
| trying on both the letter carrier and
his horse, and unsatisfactory to the
patrons, especially when 1t becomes ne
cessary to suspend the service on ac-
count Of impossible portions Of the
route.
Reports from all parts Of the coun-
try indicate clearly that the people are
waking up in order to obtain the estab-
lishment Of rural free delivery, and in
this way it Is seen that the rural SER
vice becomes a great factor in the good
roads movement, which Of late years
has been agitated in many Of the pro-
gressive states. A. W. M"
The letter Of Mr.. Machen brings out
the policy Of the postal department by
intimation rather than by direct asser-
ton. Rural free delivery will go to
where the people either have or are
willing to provide good roads. 1t will
take several years to spread the deliv-
cry system over the entire fairly well
populated portions of the country.
Those portions which have at all times
or at centain times Of the year such
roads which make the service expen-
sive, will be denied the luxury Of hav-
ing the mail brought to the house
every day.
Daily the representatives in congress
are being more strongly impressed
with this fact. When a good case is
made out in favor Of a certain route,