The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-07-02
MUST HAVE
BETTER ROADS
RURAL MAIL ROUTES ARE
ENG WITHDRAWN
ON ACCOUNT OF
POOR HIGHWAYS
MAY APPLY
HERE.

Withdrawal of free mail SER
vice on account of neglected
roads is indicated in a recent or
der from the post office depart
ment. There are some roads in
Marshall county coming under
this designation and the problem
OF saving rural free delivery to
several thousand people is up to
the road supervisors and to the
people of the communities
That the government is deter
mined to enforce strict regula-
tions in the rural mail service is
indicated by two recent orders
that the roads on official routes
must be kept in repair and that
carriers must maintain a neat
personal appearance and keep
good horses and vehicles.
Fortunately Indiana has al
ready provided a way by which,
people on official mail routes can
be required to see to the roads.
The last legislature passed an act
which, in substance, is as fol-
lows:
1T shall be the duty of the
board of commissioners, town
ship trustees, road superintend-
ents and road supervisors to keep
in repair and passable condition
all highways in their respective
districts or jurisdiction along or
on which United States rural free
delivery mail routes have been or
may hereafter be established or
maintained, and the township
trustees shall set aside at least
FIVE per cent. of the amount OF
road fund received by them each
year as an emergency fund to be
used in carrying out the provi-
sions of this act. 1t shall be the
duty OF the above named officers
to give preference to the high
ways along or over which such
rural routes have been or may
hereafter be established or main
tanned. 1t shall be the duty OF
such officers to see that such
highways are properly drained,
are kept free of all Instructions,
including snow drifts, and are at
all times in condition to be safe
and readily passable to ordinary
travel. 1t shall be the duty OF
such officers, and of each of them
upon receiving notice of the de-
fective or impossible condition
OF any of the highways SO used
by mail routes above defined, at
once to repair or cause to be re-
paired. In making such improve
ments or repairs, the board may
repair bridges or cuiverts wher-
ever necessary for the purposes
of this act, regardless of the. fact
that there may be no appropria-
tioa therefor, and to pay for the
same out of any moneys in the
county treasury not otherwise ap.
propriated. In case any of the
said officials fail to have the above
repairs made, in FIVE days
after receiving notice of the de-
fective condition thereof, he shall
be deemed guilty of a misde-
meanor, and upon conviction
thereof shaii he fined not over So
each day he shall have SO failed
after receiving such notice.
Enforcement of the law in In
diana will prevent any trouble
with the government.
A further order to postmasters
relative to the carriers, is:
you will inform all rural car
riers under your supervision that
they are required to present a
neat personal appearance, that
the vehicle used be suited to the
service, kept in good order and
presentable and that the animals
used by the carriers in serving
their routes must be fit to work
and such as not to cast discredit
on the service" !"