Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1907-04-25
Good Roads aud Rural Mail.

Our attention has been direct
ed to a clipping, taken from thu
Rural Free Delivery News, OF
good roads and rural mail, which
must be of interest. The clipping
is as follows.
ut is announced that the gov
ernment will look more Carefully
to the enforcement OF it's rule
regulating the roads over which
rural free delivery is established
The present requirement is:
"Roads traversed shall be kept
in good dcondition and unobstruct
ed by gates: there must beno un.
brdged creeks or streams not
fordable at any season of h c
year." In many cases the resi-.
dents along proposed routes have
made improvements that enable
them to obtain rural delivery
service, but sometimes the efforts
to keep up the roads are relaxed.
But the government has decided
that unless the roads Travelled by
the carriers are properly main.
tanned the service will be with.
drawn. The Postoffice Depart
ment now calls on the carriers
tor reports on the roads, and will
stop the service where the high
ways in question are bad.
"The 35, ,973 rural delivery car.
riers now employed cover $685.
1853 miles daily, and it is unrea--
sonable to expect them to con.
tend with neglected roads, or to
work for communities LACKING
the enterprise to keep their com.
mon highways in decent shape.
Wherever a rout is discontinued
the inhabitants themselves will
be to blame for it, for if alive to
their own interest and their du-
ty to the public they would give
their roads vigorous and con-
stant attention. The idea that a
route once authorized is necessa-
rely permanent is a mistake. Ad-
vice on the best road methods is
supplied by the Agricultural De-
partment, and a neighborhood
that loees its rural delivery must
itself bear the discrsdit for SO
unpleasant and humilitating
a nevent."
Persons living alongrural mail
routs should readithe above and
profit by thesuggestion given for
their significance cannot de de-
MED.
1t is, as observed above, a blind
error to fancy that because a
certain rural rout has been estab
lished, it's permanency is guaran
teed, unless all requirements are
fulfilled We hear of too many
routes being discontinued at diff
ferent places, whore the patrons
failed to come up to the require
ments OF the government, for
that.
Therefore, it is important that
every condition imposed by the
government be compiled with.
No community can now afford
to be robbed OF it's rural mail SER
vice, nor will any one be if the re-
quirements are fulfilled:
The rural free delivery has pass
ed that stage where it is a mere
convenience, a pleasant thing to
enjoy. 1t is now looked upon asa
necessity. By means OF it the
country; the remotest rural vi
entities, have been brought with
in finger touch with the cities. A
thousand advantages are deriv-
ed that were once denied the
country folk.
1t is an education within itself.
as a result of it, citizens of til e
country are as well, ifnot better,
posted on the affairs of-the world
at large than those OF the city. |
They get the news when it is
news and the value Of this is in
estimable.
But, no arguments longer nec-
essary in this matter. 1t is only
necessary to repeat that there is
a duty slevolving on every per-