The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1904-11-02

"a st. Louis. Hon. Frank E.
AA Nevins, Of the United
States rostoffice Depart
ment, delivered an address
IN which he said: ?
The establishment of the rural free
delivery Of mail throughout the coun-
try has produced a marked improve
ment In the condition Of the highways.
When there is a prospect of rural free
delivery In a community, work imme-
'diately begins on the roads. There
are now in operation $4,000 rural
routes over which carriers travel $780,
600 miles delivering mail to about
100000 people. More than $1,000
bridges have be constructed over
streams that would not have been
built IL 1t had lot been for the estab-
lishment Of the free delivery system.
Nearly every portion OF the country.
where road conditions will warrant it,
IL now supplied with this service. Eut
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 a50u. twenty
ave miles each day to earn dis salary
Of 5000 a year. He is required TO fur
nish and maintain his " outfit and
team, and to give a bOld 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 rO.ds. So many
carriers have resigned, thereby caus-
ing much confusion and labor in the
department., that the Congress just adj
journed has been compelled to add
$40 q year to the salaries of the car
riers Of the country. This increase of
salaries amounts to about 100000 a
year additional that the depar: ment
has to pay to maintain this service on
account Of bad roads. Over q good
sraveled or macadamized pike road a
carrier can easily make twenty five
miles q day six times u week. With
the roads as they are. it is a question
whether the next Congress will not be
called upon to add another $4,OOO,COO
to the salaries Of the carriers.
'sIJnder the road laws Of most Of the
Western States ut the present time
work is done upon the roads in the fall
BY the various road districts, when
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 al bad condition,
or worse, than they were before. The
.cost Of $1,000 to SCOOP a mile for the
eonstruction Of hard roads in this
Western country is too great, in most
instances, for <oad districts, townships
and counties to bear; neither Is it right
that they should bear the entire cost.
The public at large, which shares
directly or indirectly in the benefits,
should contribute to the expense.
There neve will be good roads in this
country until the National Government
takes the initiative in this movement,
ana the respective States Of the Union
1oin In with liberal contributions, and
this again Is supplemented by local en-
tefprise. Continental Europe, England
and Ireland are covered with hard
broad pixies built at the expense Of the
governments Of those countries. No
country in the world yer yet had or
ever viii have permanent and passable
highways constructed and maintained
by local authority.
s'etxty per cent. OF the population OF
tits country lives In the cities and vii
0aees; forty per cent. lives In the coun-