The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-30

insisting on good roads wherever the
mails are carried. We refuse to grant
route until the roads have been put
into shape, and il they become impas-
sable or in such a condition that the
delivery cannot be easily continued
over them, we insist that they be re.
paired or say that the service will be
discontinued. In this work we are
assisted by the road officials of many
of the States. who send out to each
rural carrier a blank containing ques-
tions to be answered rs to the condis
tons of the roads over which je
travels. -
''He is asked to report as to the
materials of which they are composed.
as to the condition of their bridges.
and as to how they are worked.
The State of Indiana, for instance.
has made law that all the highways
along the rural delivery routes must be
kept in passable condition all the year
round. 4 neglect to comply with this
law, a fter. five days notice is punish
able by fine OF from 81 to s25 per
day, which is levied OH the locality.
Other States are considering similar
laws, and by these means material i'm
provemerts ara being made in the roads
of the country.
'As it Is now our carriers are going
daily over nearly million miles OF
roadway and we have now Instructed
the postmasters at the rural delivery
Offices to send in detailed reports con-
corning these roads. So far we find
that only $4,000 miles Of them are of
macadam. the remainder being of
earth. sand or gravel. The reports
show that since the rural delivery
III
$40. 100000 has been expended on the
we are glad to say that the road of
ficials and people generally are do
Ing much to put the roads into better
shape! for the service. In the past
year more work has heen done on such
public highways than in any other
year since the rural delivery was
started. and our reports indicate that
Il general interest in road Improvement
is being manifested throughout the
country.
The Passing of the Small Post-Omces.
"Does not the rural delivery do
away with many of the smaller post
offices?" I asked,
They have been discontinued by
the thousand. There is no necessity
for many such Offices with efficient
rural carrier service. The carrier is
not mere collector and distributor OF
the mail His wagon is a miniature
post office on wheels often containing
compartments for. stamps OF the demo
limitations In general use and stamped
envelopes and postal cards. He has
the authority 10 sell these as we'll as
TO register, letters delivered to him
which may contain money or other
valuable matter. In some places he Is
authorized to exchange currency for
money orders sent by the peqple on
his route and ne delivers registered
letters and specialfdelivery mail to the
therefor II a farmer wishes to mail
n latter and has no stamps he canieave
the amount necessary to prepay the
postage with the letter in the box and
the carrier must stamp IT. In short,
the service is as far as possible what
have described TIA little post off,ce
on wheels" - =
Making Road Maps of the United
~ states.
What else is your division doing.
air. De Graw?" s III
''As to this division said the fourth
assistant postmaster, general "it does
considerable outside the rural delivery
service. We have to do with all the
doad letter mail which last year
amounted to over thirteen million
pieces Of which we opened and re-
turned to their owners more than
seven million. We have force OF