The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-02-14

into good condition Of these roads.
The time has come when the men
who stand up to represent the people Of
| North Carolina must show that they
stand for something that is of vital in
terest to the people in their homes"
I AS 20 the influence OF good roads upon
the school system Of our State, the
speaker said that, when he, as a young
man, used to teach, the trouble was that
the childrn would not attend The
trouble was not in the length of the
term, but in the fact that the little
ones could not attend Il believe" said
he, that little over so per cent of our
children are able to attend school now.
There is not but one side to this
question The only question is, will
the people take hold of the matter?"
In the east, said Mr. Pou, the expen-
diture of very little money, simply to
raise the roads little more so that they
could be drained, would be of the utmost
benefit to the people there.
Mr.. Pou concluded by presenting
Hon A. w. Machen, Superintendent of
the Rural Free Delivery Service.
sUPT MACHEN's SPEECH.
Mr.. Machen said that the school, the
postal service and good roads were the
most effective means by which the peo-
pie might enjoy the blessings of life.
Without education q mail service would
be useless, and without good roads a
modern, upto date rural mail service
could not be brought up to the standard
required.
He spoke of the great work Of Presi-
dent Andrew Jackson for the postal
service of the country. A few years
with Gen. Lee the best methods of
reaching the people of Cuba. Gen. Lee
said: Give them good postal service"
Mr. Machen gave history of rural
free delivery, showing how something of
the kind had been in existence in Hol-
land and other European countries since
1929. In 1891 1t was determined at a
council in Vienna to establish a rural
free delivery. When news of this was
brought to Gen. Wannamaker, then
Postmaster General. He saw that in
this country, with poor roads and a pop
ulation widely scattered, it would be
versally. However, he asked for &c.,
900 from Congress, and it was granted,
but never drawn. Still Congress con-
tinued the appropriation, and in 1896 In
creased it to $4,000 in the absence of a
recommendation from the Postmaster
General. Hon. w l.. Wilson considered
this as almost mandatory and gave or
ders for the work to go on.
In October, 1896, the first route was
established at Charleston, West Vir-
ginia. From then on the strides were
great, until by July 1st, 1899, there we're
1900 routes established, with $450000.
BY July LIST. 1901, 1900 routes in opera
tion with an expenditure of three mill
lions and a half. Today, working under
the same appropriation, raised a week
ago TO $1,000, 900, we have 5000 carriers.
Yesterday the committee completed the
bill for the next fiscal year, and al
though only $6.500,000 was asked, S,5l9,-
900 was appropriated, and il is said that
some of oyr enthusiastic Southern mem
hers will make this $10000,000 when
the bill gets on the floor of the House.
The speaker enumerated the various
ADVANTAGES of the system and added:
II have often wondered why ii was
that the people Disseminated for so long
against the farmer, and l am inclined to
think that, in 1863, when the city mail
delivery was established there was
something in the complaint that it was
class legislation"
Mr.. Machen described very graphical
~ the difficulties in the way of the
farmer under the old system. and COM
pared this with the conditions now.
Coming to the relation of good roads
TO the rural free delivery, Mr.. Machen
said:
This service, TO be efficient, must be
punctual. That kind Of a service can be
maintained only with good roads. Good
roads are Indispensable TO an ideal SER
yicevice of the rural free delivery sys-
tenn.
When we began to receive messages
from different localities 10 the effect
that the carriers were not able to get
ont on account of bad roads. we thought
that perhaps we had been too lax in not
holding 10 the original requirement that
no route should be established except
where the roads were passable. AS a
result the Rural Free Delivery acted in
its turn as a lever for the establish
ment of good roads"
Mr.. Machen then gave very com
prehensive account of the work done by
the department toward improving the
roads in sections where the system was
already established. He told of one road
supervisor who, when he received the
letter from the department calling his
attention TIC the condition OF the roads
in his county, and stating that the sys-
tenn would have 10 be discontinued If
the roads were not improved, tore up
the letter saying that the department
in Washington had nothing to do with
his road business. But the patrons of
the service had received similar letters,
and the next Sunday after church the
road supervisors yard was crowded with
men. all ready to help bring up the
roads to the requirements demanded.
The speaker paid a tribute to the
work of North Cardinals Senators and
Congressman in their insistence to get
for their State the benefits of this sys-
tenn.
In closing, Mr.. Machen emphasized