Arizona republican., 1906-04-28
GOOD ROADS.
EnIisting The Attention of Postoffiee
 Department

1 The subject of good roads as affect 1 ing the rural delivery service, has been revived by the suggestion that the 1 PostOffice Department, in view of its interest in the maintenance of good roads, incident to efficient rural deliv- | cry service, take some steps looking to some action by the government for the improvement of public roads. Tn this connection it should not be overlooked that since the year 1894 the cOngress has made appropriations to enable the Secretary of Agriculture to make in
 quiries in regard to the systems of road
 management throughout the United
 States, to furnish expert advice on road
 building, and to make investigations in
 regard to the best methods of road making, and the best kind of road
 making materials in the several states;
 and for preparing, publishing, and dis
 tributing bulletins and reports of such
 work
 The maintenance of good roads, un-
 obstructed by gates, with no unabridged
 creeks or streams not fOrdable at aIlor-
 dinary seasons of the year. is a condi-
 tiOn precedent to the establishment
 and continuance of rural delivery serv-
 ice. When a rural agent or a post
 master reports that the roads traversed
 by rural carriers are impossible, or in
 bad condition, the matter is taken up
 by the Department, through the post
 master with the local road authorities and due notice given that unless the
 condition of the roads is improved it
 will be necessary to take steps looking
 to withdrawal of the service in that vicinity.
 This policy has resulted in the ex- penditure of thousands of dollars throughout the country in the construc- tion of bridges and the improvement of highways. The maintenance of good roads as required by the Postoff1ce De- l partment does not necessarily involve any radical change in the system Of roads in given locality, but does call ! for a system of grading that will keep the roads smooth and properly drained | The importance of systematic effort ! with a View to keeping the roads in | good condition. is illustrated by the ex- perience of the Department during the . past six months, when it has been nee essary to suspend service in some lo- ! caIities, the condition of the roads be Ing such as to make it impossible for | the carriers to traverse their routes
 This naturally, results in complaint I which frequently comes from people . who are themselves responsible for the condition of the roads. While in some | respects the past season has been an | unusual one in that the weather condi- II tlons have been such as to make the Il roads unusually muddy still if the Il system of working the roads was con- Il ducted along more intelligent lines. if Il IS believed the existence of the condi- T tons referred to would not be possj- Il ble
 It is necessary to repeatedly call to the attention of road authorities in giv Il en localities the requirements of the II Department in this respect In some II communities where the benefits of good Il roads are appreciated by business men. II commercial clubs and other similar or ganlzations are offering prizes for the II pest ml!e of road on any rural route Il running from the particular commu- II hlty' which 1t is believed will result not II only In improved roads in that partic- II ular section, but in increased interest on the part of the people themselves.
 The indifference in some places to II this important subject. as far as rural II dehFery service is concerned. is dis II closed by the inspection of the service II now being made and it is hoped tha5 Il the result of the efforts of the Depart- II lnent during the coming summer will II De such an increased interest in the improvement of all highways traversed II oy rural routes, that the Department II Will be enabled to more satisfactorily complete the work of extending the III service to the largest proportion of the rural population throughout the N