The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-12-30
g PARTLY WITHDRA VIM q D
Money.
Make Neither ScheduIe nor

| MoHey. A-E tSs-as@ svsf
| There continues to be trouble on
the R. F. D. routes out of Cor
wallis, particularly numbers and
II. Two influences are factors in
the dissatisfaction. One i; the fact
I that horse feed is so high and the
pay SO small that carriers make
:. but little at the work. Another
is that some of the bad spots in the
roads makeit impossible for the car
riersto make anything like schedule
time, The meagreness of the pay
has led to resignation of route
2, and the bad roads on and 2
lead TO much delay that carriers do
not reach the Corvallis office until
two and three hours after darkness
has set in.
Both sources of trouble are under
consideration and investigation by
the department at Washington. In
a letter to Postmaster Johnson
Fourth Assistant Postmaster Gen
eral Bristow says:
"You are requested to notify the
patrons and road officials that the
department looks to them to keep
the highways in such condition
that they can be easily travelled by
carriers at all seasons, and that in
difference to the matter will lead to
a permanent withdrawal of service
from that community. Please in
form this Office what, if anything
will be done"
WERE R. F. D. ROUTES WITHDRAWN
Of course the dictum of the
fourth assistant postmaster general
cannot be misunderstood Itmeans
that the highways must be kept in
proper condition for easy travelling
by the carriers, or the service will
be permanently withdrawn. It al
so means that the department looks
to the patrons and the road off,
cials to see that necessary repairs |
are made to the roads, and that if
it is not done, the service will cease
That is the long and short of the
situation.
Of course it would be black eye
to Benton county, after the estab.
lishment of the R. F. D. routes to
have them discontinued. Inefect,
it would say to the world that Ben
ton county has worse roads than
have other counties where r. F. D.
routes are in successful operation.
II would make it difficult here
after to get R. F. D. routes. in the
county, 1t would have a tendency
to prevent incoming Immigrants,
used to R F. u. service in the East
from buying farms and settling in
Benton. That in turn, would tend
TO reduce the value of farms in the.
county because the demand for
them would be removed But
more than all, the presence and
operation Of the R., F. d. routes
S a great and powerful incentive
or betterment and Improvement of
he roads, and it those now exist
ng are Withdrawn, one of the chief
Influences for immediate road bet
erment will be,absent. To all lthis t
5 to be added that other unfor- *
unate feature, towit: that in case
If withdrawal of the routes the pa
rons now receiving their mail a
laily will lapse back into a con- a
lition where they are not in the en-
oyment Of a privilege that the peo- c
,1e of other counties daily enjoy.
Thus, if the routes are to be lost !
is better never to have had them 7
,heir withdrawal, all patrons, road "
nen, and all other citizens should, $
y application of remedial infuen-
es, use every effort to prevent. ?
he remedial Influences are such :
apairs of temporary character as G
re now possible, and good, per- 6
lament repairs next road making Ii
me.
PART OF SERVICE WITHDRAWN.
In part, the daily service on the
]. F. d. route I has already been
There are two prongs $s
4 the Wells road that the route
.rves, One of these goes to B1ake's br
nd the other to the Martin corner. St
rdinari1y, the carrier makes one ..
these prongs and after doubling +,
ack on it, then makes the other. ar
he distance on one is six and the SC
her four miles. In order to en- =
ote the carrier to make nearer ap-
roach to his schedule. it has been
to make one of these
80, II II,