Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-07-04
BETTER RURAL ROUTES
Roads Must Be Made PassabIe
At All Seasons
WEST VIRGINIA, 3l2 ROUTES
Where Roads Are Not Kept In Order
/. There Will Be No Rural
Free Delivery.

Free Delivery.
The Evening World is indebted to
MIR. Il. w. Van Metre, this city, an
official of the postoffice department at
Washington, for the following article
touching on. the important subject of
Improvement of Rural Highway
and which will be of interest to
anany Of our readers, especially those
residing on rural delivery mail
routes:
There is always something doing
In the division OF rural delivery Of the
postofice department, and at the pres.
ent time large number Of clerks are
busily engaged in sending out daily
thousands of notices to local highway
om.ials throughout the country, call
ing attention to needed repairs to
roads covered by rural delivery roads.
Several months ago postmasters at
rural delivery Offices were required to
render reports to the department Of
the number of miles or roads covered
by rural delivery from their respective
offices, the material OF which roads
were composed, and to indicate from
oficial description those roads urgent
ly needing repairs and the character
of the repairs required The names
of the local road officials having juris-
diction over each separate section OF
roads were also included in the re-
ports.
In the, letter which Assistant Post
master General DeGraw is sending out
the section OF roads reported to be in
bad condition is specifically indicated,
and road officials are notified that
rural delivery will not be continued
on the roads which are not kept iI
condition to be travelled with facility
and safety at all seasons of the year,
and requested to give attention to the
roads under their Jurisdiction as soon
as practicable and conditions will per.
NIT.
Attention is also called to the fact
at while it may be that the settled
condition of the weather has affected
an improvement in the roads, yet ex-
listing defects in construction OF due
to travel or erosion should be rem
edied during the summer so that
there will not be recurrence Of bad
roads, resulting in interrupted service,
from defective causes when the wet
or winter season again sets in
"The results obtained from these
notices have thus far been highly
gratifying to the department, and re-
ports are being received of great ac-
tivity being taken in the reconstruc-
ton and repair of highways in various
socaiiies. - - -aa&s S~lAS
- Witbip its limitations the depart
rnent desires to cooperate with all
organized good roads movements, and
is at the present time so cooperating
with the highway officials in a number
of states, with most satisfactory re-
suits attending"
West Virginia.
A few statistics relative to the sub.
ject of rural routes in West Virginia,
as complied by Mr.. Van Metre. froll
late reports, will be of much interest
and are published herewith
Number of rural routes in state,
312.
Total number of miles Travelled
daily, 6,60S.
Miles of earth, sand and gravel
roads, 6.196. .-----~- ~~w
Miles OF fhacadam roads. 412.
Amount of money expended per an
mum $50 far as reported to the lepart-
menD on roads covered by rural de-
livery in West Virginia, s246,s57.
Average amount expended per
route, per annum, 5000
Average length of routes, 225 miles.
Afci csc pti NcANf AhticdSS III 4dI III
values since service was established,
IL per cent.
Total amount expended on routes
in the United States since the service
was established, ST. 1881 ,692.04.
Average expended per route, ST.
754.61
Total number of routes in the
United States, April /, 1898, S9,O37.
The rural free delivery service was
first established in West Virginia in
1896.
West Virginia is Fastest Cruiser
Washington, June 27.-The West