Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-04-06
Good Roads Must Be Guaran-
teed In Order to Assure
Complete Rural Service
CONFERENCE IS SUGGESTED
Postmaster Saint Thinks Board of SUI
pervisors Should Call Township
Trustees Together to Discuss situa-
ton With Special Agent RoyIan-
Good Roads Absolutely Necessary.

If Marshall county is to have COM
plete rural mail service, as has been
recommended to be established by the
post Office department, it will be abso-
lItely necessary to alter some Of the
conditions that now exist on highways
where new routes are to be laid. Spec
ial Agent John I. Boylan has spent a
week on the preliminary work and has
badly in need of improvements. In
a letter to Postmaster Saint he says
that some sort of an assurance that the
roads will be bettered and maintained
in good condition must be made to
him before he will recommend the es-
tablishment of the service.
Mr.. Saint has enclosed Mr.. Boylan's
letter in one of his own to the T.-R.,
and suggests that the supervisors call
the township trustees together some
time this week, for conference with
Mr.. Boylan. 1t is necessary that
lan's preliminary work is about COM
pleted, and before he makes the recon-
mendation he will have to be assured
by the proper authorities that all roads
will be put into the good condition ex-
pected by the department., and SO
maintained.
The T.-R. makes the correspondence
in the matter public in order that all
patrons may see the Importance of taxi
ing immediate action. Mr.. Saints let
ter follows:
Editor Times publican: Dear
Sir-I here withenclose letter received
from j. T. Boylan, r. f. d. inspector,
which explains itself. I trust our coun-
ty supervisors will call the township
trustees together some time during
this week. for conference with Mr.
Boylan. No man in the state has work.
ed harder for complete service than
myself. I have tried repeatedly to i'm
press upon patrons the necessity of
keeping our roads in passable condi-
ton, but so many show so much in
difference that 1t is discouraging.
Rural patrons will soon realize that the
department has thoroughly organized
this branch of service as completely as
that of the city delivery. The result
following will be that county super
visors, township trustees and road SUI
pervisors will be held largely RESPONSE
BILE for the successful delivery of mail.
The department ak has already fallen
on many routes in Iowa, and believe
before Mr.. Boylan recommends county
service he will require some pledge
upon the part of the people, to put and
keep the roads in fair condition.
Trusting that the people fully real
lie the Importance of prompt action,
am yours truly.
j. @. SAINT, postmaster"
MIR. Boylan's Letter.
Mr.. Boylan's letter to Postmaster
Saint is as follows:
"Mr. J. @. Saint, postmaster, Mar
shutdown, Iowa. Dear Sir-One OF the
prerequisite conditions for the estab
lishment Of the rural free delivery
service, is good roads. It is impossible
to have good rural service without good
roads. The experience of the past two
or three years, and the last year In
Iowa, especially, has convinced the de-
partment that the success of the serv-
ice, the ultimate perfection of its oper-
alton, depends SO largely upon the good
condition Of the public highways, that
it exacts from the petitioners for the
service an agreement on their part to
improve the roads or to see that the
proper authorities will do so. The de-
partment realizes, OF course, that 1t Is
powerless to legally force road i'm
provement, but it has it within its pow
ers at any time to withdraw rural deliv-
cry from the roads over which its oper-
alton is impeded or rendered impossible
because of lack of proper attention to
public highways by county or local au-
;thorities, or to refuse the establishment
of the service in the first instance.
'The, department asks not that the
impossible be done. 1t realizes that In
the great agricultural states like Iowa,
for decades to come, of necessity, in
most localities, dirt roads must prevail.
Neither does it presume to dictate how
the Improvements must be made. 1t
does insist, however, as a matter of
suggestion, that the first and most i'm
portant need is proper drainage to dis
pose of the surface water, which is the
roads; then give attention to the con-
culverts, necessary grading and the
cutting of weeds and brush in proper
season, to reduce the Judgment of drift
ing snow to the minimum.
I'm ordering an investigation look
ing to the establishment of a COM
plete county service, the department
has presumed that the roads are pre-
pared for it.
II have to advise you that before
submitting a favoral report for a COM
plete rural system for Marshall county,
the department must be assured that
the defective highways over which the
routes are located, will be promptly
proved.
Il will be gratiied If you will bring
the matter to the attention of the post
masters, road officials and the people
of the county and that such concerted
action may be taken as is deemed ex-
pedient.
Very truly yours,
JOHN Il. BONuAN,
Special Agent Rural Free Delivery
Service"
DISTRICT COURT MATTERS