The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-07-20
Strict Rules of Postoffice De-
partment Demand That
Highways Covered by Rural
Route Be Kept Up.
INSPECTION OF ROADS
RECENTLY COMPLETED.
Township Trustees and Other
Authorities Communicated
With and Advised of Gov
ernment's Policy.

Information direct from the Office OF
P. V. DeGraw. fourth assistant post
master general, in regard to the condi-
tion of roads in this county. which
are traversed by rural mail delivery
routes, is to the effect the government
has not attempted any bluff by its
communication to the county commits
sioners. 1t is evident further the
postal seeks to cooperate with the To-
cal authorities and make the request
that road conditions be improved for
the sole purpose of making better and
quicker mail service in the rural dis
tricts possible.
The following letter in regard to the
matter is self explanatory.
The Richmond Palladium, Richmond.
Indiana.
Gentlemen-In regard to a publica-
tion in your issue of May "a. 1908, un-
der the caption 'Is Uncle Sam Trying
to Bluff Rural Routers?" in which the
statement is made that although the
attention of the county commissioners
has been called to the condition of at
least two county roads Travelled by ru-
raj delivery mail routes. 1t is not prob
able they will take any action: that
the commissioners take reception to
the reports submitted to the depart
ment and state they were made without
authentic information: and further
that the rural residents OF Wayne
county do not put much faith In the
repeated notices from the postal au-
thorities in regard to roads, 1t being
the belief among these people that the
frequent notices constitute a govern
ment bluff, l have to say that the
postmasters and rural carriers to keep
itself advised Of road conditions. with
view of asking local authorities and
patrons to keep the highways in such
condition as will enable the depart
ment to render the best services. So
important that the roads traversed by
the rural carriers shall be in such
condition that the service can be ex-
peditiously performed. giving the res
idents located on the portion of the
possible, that the department has al
ways made IL a condition for the es-
tablishment and maintenance of rural
delivery service, that the roads shall
be kept in passable condition during
all ordinary seasons of the year What
the department regards as a passable
condition, is such condition as will en-
able the rural carriers to traverse the
roads daily with horses and vehicles
at reasonable rate of speed. No ex-
traordinary expenditure is asked. but
simply that the roads traversed by r,i-
raj carriers shall be kept in good re-
pair. II after the department has
called the attention of the proper au-
horities to needed repairs action is not
| taken within a reasonable time, con-
sideration is then given to rear
ranging so as to avoid the road in
question.
To this end that there might be no
| question as to the road conditions on
he routes fro mRichmond, Indiana. a
careful inspection of the same has
tees or other road authorities are be-
| ing communicated with and advised
of the policy of the department. 1t is
not anticipated, however that II will be
necessary to withdraw service from
any of the roads now covered for the
reason that it is expected that. as is
almost universally the case throughout
the country and in line with previous
experience of the department in In
| diana. the road authorities will be
glad to cooperate with thedepartment
in providing efficient rural delivery OF
mail. Very respectfully.
P. v. DEGRAw.
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General.