The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1904-07-23
Rural Free Delivery an Ala.

AoSeonce Department, delivered an
ADDRESS In which he said:
Inc establishment Of the r.ral fraa
ueilyery of mail throughout the conn
Try mas produced a marked improve
ment In the condition Of the Highways
When there ia a prospect OF rural free
uenVery In a community, work imme-
ulateiy begins on the roads. There
are now In operation 1900 rural
routes over which carriers travel 55O.-
700 miles delivering mail to about
s'OoOOOO people. More than 15OO0
bridges have been constructed over
streams that would not have been
built II 1t had not been for the estab-
llsnment OF the free delivery system.
Nearly every portion OF the country.
where road conditions will warrant II.
Is now supplied with this service. But
In many sections the bad conditions of
the roads, or the lack Of bridges. pre-
vent the extension of the service. The
rural carrier Of a standard route is
now expected to travel about twenty
nve miles each day to earn his salary
OF 5000 year. He is required to fur
nish and maintain his own outfit and
team, and to give a bond Of $500 for
the faithful performance OF his duties
Experience has demonstrated that this
distance is too great on account Of the
bad condition of the roads So many
carriers have resigned, thereby caus-
ing much confusion and labor In the
department that the Congress Just ad-
Journed has been compelled to add
$40 a year to the salaries Of the car
riers Of the country. This increase Of
salaries amounts to about $4,000, 900 a
year additional that the department
has to pay to maintain this service on
account Of bad roads. Over a good
graveled or macadamized pike road a
carrier can easily make twenty-five
miles a day six times week. With
the roads as they are, 1t is a question
whether the next Congress will not be
called upon to add another $4,000, 00C
to the salaries of the carriers.
Under the road laws Of most of the
Western States at the present time
work is done upon the roads in the fall
by the various road districts, wher
there is no work to be done on the
farms. In the spring this work disap
pears. Nothing permanent remains
and the roads are In as bad condition
or verse. than they were before. TIT
cost OF $1,000 to $4,000 a mile for th'
construction Of hard roads In thi
Western country is too great, In mos
instances. for road districts, townships
and counties to bear; neither Is
right that they should bear the entir
cost. The public at large. which share
directly or indirectly in the benefits
should contribute to the expense
There never will be good roads in thi
country until the National Government
takes the initiative In this movement
and the respective States OF the Unio
join In with liberal contributions, an
this again is supplemented by loca
enterprise. Continental Europe. Ems
} land and Ireland are covered wit
hard broad pixies built at the expens
of the governments Of those countries
No country in the world ever yet ha
or ever will have permanent and pas
: able highways constructed and mail
tanned by local authority.
"Sixty per cent OF the population c
this country lives in the cities and vi
lagos; 40 per cent lives in the countr,
1t is not fair or just to place the el
tire burden OF good roads upon th
shoulders OF the farmer. The generI
,, public shares directly or indirectly
! the benefits and should bear the e.
pense OF an equitable tax for this pu
nose on all assessable values. Th
weight of 1t upon the individual woul
then be as light as a summer SHADOW
While this specter Of taxation ma
frighten some Of our skitdsh countr
friends and cause them to rear an
plunge a little. they will find on clos'
Inspection that the goblin Is a harm
less creation OF the imagination. The
will get back in benefits ten Time
more than they will pay out In take
"Why some Of our friends spur
Government aid when 1t Is ofere
them cannot understand. They clail
to be opposed to it on principle an
can see no good in 1t. There are SON
neoule so constructed that when lool
ing into a pool of water they can ne
or see the sky and the clouds above
reflected on It's surface, but only Il
mud at the bottom.
"This Government never falls to
Tho right thing in the end. 1t will M
fail TO do the right thing In this Il
; stance. The impetus given to IN
movement by few progressive state
mon who introduced measures In Co
cross last winter authorizing nation
.. sId IN the construction Of highway
, viii ultimately produce the result
aimed at 1t cannot fail to do so b
, cause the public interest demands
! the nrogress Of the age demands
the welfare and development OF Il
country at large demand It, and II
hound TO come in spite Of those wi
: raise their voices In opposition 10 IL
4 z.rnt q EOR PUPILS.