Oxford Democrat., 1904-01-12
Wanted: Better Winter Roads.

Editor Democrat:
wish to write in regard to breaking
the roads during the winter season. ThlS
matter has been more fOrcibly or0ugh'
10 nv attention by the complaint OF ouI
mail carrier in regard TO how poorly the
roads were broken out, at least on some
parts of his route, after the heaviest
storm we have had so far this winter
Mr.. Stearns says in emphatic terms thai
he shall not drive his horses over Suc1
poor roads as he has done IN past wln,
tiers, and that if the patrons of his mai
route want their mail delivered they
must make better roads.
Mr.. Stearns' complaint is, TO our per
sonal knowledge, a reasonable one, ano
we hope it will be needed. l presume
the carriers on other routes know how
to sympathize with him, and our cream
gatherers as well in this matter, and 1t Ii
with a desire to assist him and Others
that write this article.
Before going further wish to comph
ment the patrons of this mail route OF
their good luck in securing SO energeti'
and accommodating a carrier as Mr
Stearns has been. None of us want hin
to throw up his job as he can do at any
time, and for that reason we ought 10 d'
our best TO give him good or at leas
fairly good roads. | put considerable
time into working up this mail route
and perhaps feel greater interest oi
that account.
This question of having good road
both summer and winter does not con
Germ mail carriers and cream gatherer
alone, our farm population should DE o
all classes most interested IN 1t, for owe
these roads, good or bad, they must draw
all the wood, lumber, farm produce, ice
grain and all kinds of merchandise the.
buy or sell TO or from market. SO thl
question is one of vital Importance t
the farmer above all others.
Now Mr.. Stearns is not the only on
who has complained about our poo
roads. Our cream gatherers all lind tn
same fault, and for their accom-
mediation as well as ours let us keep bet
ter roads. 1t has been said that th
heaviest tax the farmer pays is in havln
poor roads, and think that is true. W
all know what il means when We have
90 twice TO haul the same load which W
might draw at one trip if the roads wer
better.
Farmers have TO pay large tax o
their property compared with othe
classes, as their property is mostly Il
sight, SO think they should keep goo
roads and be paid fair compensate
tor their labor upon them. The rat
paid, 10 cents per hour for man, yok
of oxen, or 20 or % cents for heav
span of horses, was enough when goo
help could be hired for one dollar an
board per day, but now when wages ar
higher it is not sufficient for the har
labor required in ShOveling and breakin
out our highways, and it is hard work I
find men who will break roads If the
have other work ON wood and lumbe
which pays better. 1t seems the tim
has come when higher price must b
paid in order 10 geS our roads broke
out. Mr.. Howe, our Selectman, tells m
that he does not know what he is goin
10 do to get the roads broken this winte
as there are so few men that he can hir
to work on them, but if the pay was bel
ter no doubt men enough could be st
cured
To conclude, we all appreciate havin
our mail brought to our doors, and W
ought to be willing to break our road
sufficiently well to give our mail carrier
fair show. People all know this, bu
we get slack and neglect plain duty a
times, and a little prompting is needed
Z. Z. FIELD.
North Paris, Maine.