Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-09-19
CHAD ROADS, NO MAIL"
Rule of Government as TO Rural
Free Delivery.


sBad roads, no mail,o is the rule the
government has adopted for the guidance
of the rural free delivery service OF the
post Office department. Ever since the
first appropriation for rural free delivery
was made nine years ago, the idea OF good
roads has been associated with the service,
but the government has been 20 busy
installing the new service that 1t has not
greatly emphasized the good roads feature.
1t is now in a position to take np this
branch Of the subject, and it proposes to
do it.
| The IS 1913 rural carriers employed by the
| government travel total OF Sos, 1853 miles
OF country roads every day in the year.
/ When complete service has been installed
not less than ,0oo, 600 miles Of road will be
| travelled daily. This situation, in the
estimation OF the postal authorities, az
/ fords 40 opportunity TO push the good
roads movement as it has never been
| pushed in tins country. BY sad by there
will undoubtedly be adopted an iron-elad
rule that unless the roads over which
| rural carrier travels are maintained in
first-clsss condition, the mail service will
/ be withdrawn. The government feels that
it has an opportunity to compel local au-
thorities TO take up the question Of good
roads, and il proposes to exercise the su-
thority freely.
Here is the present requirement of the
department which must be met before the
new route will be established: Roads
traversed shall be kept in good condition,
and unobstructed by gates; there must be
no unabridged creeks or streams not ford
able at any season Of the year" As a re-
suit OF this requirement, 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 de-
livery service until they put their reads in
good condition, they moved, and in the
course of time were able to show the
agents of the department that they had
complied with the government require
ment
But to have good roads they must have
constant attention. and in some parts OF
the country, where the free delivery ser
vice has been furnished for several years,
1NSAA AhAAtitd 10 bt NAENtfHrs
are letting the roads fall into bad repair
again. The department almost daily cur
tails the travels OF carriers because of tad
roads. II proposes to convince the pa
irons of the service that II they want
their mail delivered to their doors they
must see 10 it that the roads are main
tanned in tirst-class condition.
TtsF h. fsssr, -.
will cooperate with the department of
agriculture and with the various state
highway officials in its campaign for
better roads. II the programme that has
been tentatively agreed upon is carried
out every rural mail carrier will eventually
be road inspector. IL is proposed that
carriers shall make regular reports to
highway commissioners AZ 20 the CEN
ditioD of the roads over which they travel
Recently the fourth assistant post
master general, Mr.. DeCraw, has been In
communication with the highway COM
missioners of several states ON the ques-
tion OF CO operation, and he found them
anxious 10 cooperate along the lines sug-
gested by the postoffice department. Not
all the states have highway commission
ers, and in such cases the department pro-
poses to take up the subject with the
governors, and see II it is possible TO get
down to a working basis with local
authorities.
All the department can do is to use its
carriers as inspectors to report to the
proper state authorities roads that are in
need OF repair. II the repairs are not
made the department will withdraw the
carriers from those roads that are not up
to the governments idea as to what a
good road is. The agricultural depart
ment stands ready to cooperate by fur
nishing advice as to the best methods of
road building.
II the postofsice department islands
pat, as it evidently will, the country is
bound to have at least i,00o, 900 miles of
good roads within the next few years; and
the important point is that these roads
over which the government sends its en-
ployes must be kept in good condition.
II will not be enough to put a road in
good repair this year, and let il go to rack
| next year. Every road must be kept up
to the standard il the people who reside
ON it 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 begin to realize
that rural free delivery is to do something
more than bring the people their daily
mail; 1t proposes to bring good roads over
which the products of the farms can be
marketed at less cost than now and in
shorter time.
Railroads Eighty Years