Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-10-06
BETTER ROADS
Are NECESSARY
POSTMASTER r. A. NIMocks
URGES UPON IMPROVEMENT
OF PUBLIC HIGHWAYS.
AY LOSE ROUTES
Rural Mail Delivery 10 Threatened to
Cease IT Thoroughtarss Are Not
Kept In Proper Condition
For Travel.

! Bent upon having the roads leading
out of Ottumwa kept in a good pass
able condition, Postmaster F. A. MINI
ocks has drafted a letter to the various
residents receiving mail by rural routs
from the Ottumwa postoftice urging
work upon the roads where it is
needed. Thus far number OF re-
plies have been received by Mr. MINI
ocks and a hearty response to the let
ter is being had. At the present time
there has been five Of the routes sup
piled with the letters and the sixth
route is being covered now. All OF the
rural route residents will receive one
of the letters, which although sent as
q circular over the whole district, ap-
plies only to those whose particular To-
calities are effected by the letter.
Urges Work Done.
The letter follows:
| We have had more or less trouble
in getting trustees and other officials
who have authority, to get the rural
routes in good condition. We have
been as patient as we can afford to be
| in this matter, as am held account
able to the department for the condi-
ton of these rural routes.
We have recently had an order from
the fourth assistant postmaster general
who has charge of this branch OF the
service, and he asked me to investl-
gate the rural routes with view of
disseminating routes or parts thereon,
which are not in good condition. 1t is
expected that an inspector will be IN
this vicinity this fall, and am writ
ing you that you take this matter up
with the proper authorities and urge
them to see that your rural routes are
put in condition. If they will not do
this, it will be well for you and your
neighbors to get your rural routes in
deal Of money in this city, out side OF
the regular tax levy, to put the routes
in good condition to the city limits and
even further, and If the trustees do not
look after your roads, it will be we'll
for you and your neighbors to do so
voluntarily, before the routes are
finally inspected. You cannot afford
to wait for the trustees if they will not
act, but get the neighbors together and
put your rural route in shape, so that
when the inspector comes, he will have
no fault to find with your route
May Lose More Routes.
On account of four miles of rural
route No. 4 being in bad shape when
the local inspector happened to go over
it, it was discontinued on May I, 1910,
and so far, it has not been put back on
the route. The people have improved
the road since then and there Is pos
sibility that they will get it back, but
they have been out Of the use of the
route for four months. Their neigh
bors who have no rural route are ask
ing for it. 1t is now contest be-
tween the two neighborhoods about
getting this part of the rural route.
do not know how it will terminate, but
I know that half the rural routes out
of Ottumwa will be discontinued in the
spring, if something is not done to
drain and grade the roads.
The rural routes cost the govern
ment a great deal more than they
bring in, as you know, and we should
do our part toward seeing that the