The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-08-18
!" BAD ROADS,
NO MAIL !
Rule Of Government as to
Free Delivery
NOW THAT RURAL SERVICE
rs Well Established the Good Roads Fea-
ture Will BE considered--Local
Authorities Are Expected to
Help in the Movement.
NOW THAT RURAL SERVICE


mail" Il the rule the government has
adopted for the guidance Of the rural
free delivery service Of the postolfice de-
partment. Ever since the first appro-
priation for rural free delivery was
made nine years ago the idea Of good
roads has been associated with the SER
vice, but the government has been 80
busy installing the new service that it
has not greatly emphasized the good
roads feature. II Is now III position to
take up this branch of the subject and
it proposes to do it. The 35,O73 rural
carriers employed BY the government
travel total of s63,36S miles of couri-
Try roads every day in tho year When
complete service has been installed, not
less than 100000 miles Of road will
be Travelled daily This situation, in the
estimation Of the postal authorities, af-
fords an opportunity to push the good
roads movement az ii has never been
pushed in this country. BY and by
there viii undoubtedly be adopted an
iron-clad rule that unless the roads over
which a rural carrier travels are main
tanned in tirst-class condition the mail
service viii be withdrawn The govern
ment feels that it has an opportunity
TO compel local authorities to take up
the question of good roads, and it pros
poses to exercise the authority freely.
Here is the present requirement of the
department, which must be met before
the new route viii lie established:
Roads traversed shall be kept in good
condition, aud unobstructed BY gates;
there must be no unbridged creeks or
streams not fordabIe at any season Of
the year As result OF this require
ment, road Improvement has received
unusual attention throughout the United
States for several years. When the
residents Of a certain locality found
out that they could not secure the free
delii cry service until they put their
roads In good condition, they moved and
III the course Of time were able to show
the agents OF the department that they
had complied with the government re-
quirement. But to have good roads
they must have constant attention, and
in some parts Of the country, where the
free delivery service has been furnished
for several years, local officials are in
clined to be careless; are letting the
roads fall into bad repair again, The
department almost daily curtails the
travels Of carriers because Of bad roads.
1t proposes to convince the patrons Of
the service that if they want their
mail delivered to their doors they must
see to il that the roads are maintained
in frst-class condition.
In the future the postoflice depart
ment will cooperate with the department
Of agriculture and with tho various state
highway officials in its campaign for bet
ter roads. II the programme that has
been tentatively agreed upon is carried
out. every rural mail carrier will, even
tually, be a road Inspector II IS pro-
posed that carriers shall make regular
reports 70 highway commissioners as to
the condition Of the roads over which
they travel. Recently the fourth assist
ant postmaster general, Mr.. Detiraw, has
been in communication with the high
way commissioners Of several states on
the question of corporation. and he
found them anxious to cooperate along
the lines suggested by the postoffiee de-
partment. Not all the states have high
way commissioners. aud in such cases
the department proposes TO take up the
subject with the governors. and see II
il is possible TO get down to a working
basis with local authorities. All the
department can do is to use its carriers
as inspectors "a report 10 the proper
state authorities roads that are in need
Of repair II the repairs are not made,
the department viii withdraw the car
riers from these roads that are not up
to the governments idea rs 10 what
good road is. The agricultural depart
ment stands ready to cooperate by fur.
nishing advice as 20 the best methods
Of road building.
II tho postoffiec department. Stands
pat" rs II evidently viii, The country
Is bound 10 have at least 100000
miles Of good roads within the next
few years: and the important point
is that these roads over which the gov
erument sends its employees must be
kept in good condition. 1t will not be
enough to put road in good repair
this year and let II go TO rack next year
Every road must be Kept up Co the
standard II the people who reside on
IL are to get their mail from rural car
riers The new programme has been
cordially received wherever il has been
laid before local authorities. They be-
gin to realize that rural free delivery
IS to do something more than bring the
people their daily mail; II proposes ia
bring good roads over which the prod
ucts OF the farms can be marketed AZ
less cost than now and in shorter time.
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