Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-01-28
ROUTES DEPEND
ON CARE OF ROAD
HIGHWAYS MUST BE KEPT IN
GOOD CONDITION If SERVICE
is TO BE CONTINUED.
DEPARTMENT SPEAKS
Not Up To Postmaster But BY Orders
Of the Authorities at Washing
ton-No. q Reopened After
Nine Months Closing,

In order to assure the continuance
of rural free delivery of mail the
patrons of the service living along
the routes now having such service,
had better keep an eye to the road
conditions in their various neighbor-
hoods if such service would be con-
tinued This at least one is led TO
believe from the tone of letters from
the postoffice department at Washing
ton in dealing with the rural free de-
livery of mail. Two years ago it was
not difficult matter to secure new
routes and extensions of those already
in use; today it is a very differ
ent proposition. Then the matter was
considered more of an experiment., to-
day it has been given the benefit OF
certain tests and the department finds
that the end does not sufficiently JUS
| tify the means, the receipts being very
much less than the expenditures. The
tendency at present in the department
to curtail expenses and not to plan
any additional improvements without
some means of making them assist in
| their own support, has struck the rural
routes severe blow. Today the dan
ger is ever present of losing the serv-
ice that has been installed, rather than
the securing of new service. Some
have made it a practice to blame the
postmaster and even to take the mat
ter to the congressman but to no avail
as the department is responsible and
only the strict compliance with its
wishes secures the service that is
craved by the rural districts.
Depends On Roads.
This has been evidenced in more
than one of the nine routes that lead
out from the Ottumwa postoffice.
While these routes, compared to the
regular run of such in the state, may
hold their own, there are some excep-
tons and these have been the cause
of much correspondence and worry be-
tween Postmaster Frank Nimocks and
the department in behalf OF the
patrons of some Of the routes where
little or no care has been t. ken OF the
roads. Not all the correspondence
was with the department. Consider
able was exchanged between the post
master and the people living along
certain routes in the endeavor to have
the roads cared for in such a way as
| to insure the perpetuation of the rural
service. In most of the routes this
was successful. In some it was not.
One of these routes lost the service
through the failure to core for tho
roads in a portion OF the district Cow
cred by it and although the postmaster
might have been blamed, 1t was tne
department that ordered the route DIS
continued on the grounds that the
care given the roads did not warrant
the continuing of the service.
Will Not Extend Route.
In regard to route No. south of the
city. there is a file of correspondence
in the Office of the postmaster cover
ing the period of nine months during
which the route was discontinued by
the department, and this file includes
a large number of letters between the
local postmaster and the department..
| The result of the efforts of the post
master was the renewal of the service
on condition that the road be
kept up to the required standard. To
illustrate how hard it is to secure any
| favorable attention to requests in the
matter of rural routes, there is an In
stance in point on route No. 8, north
of Agency that has been the desire OF
the postmaster and patrons for lcng
time to have extended. 1t is impossible
to secure this consideration. The de-
partment stands pat and will not give
in, notwithstanding that by short ex-
| tension twenty-five families would be
benefited by it. All of the other routes
are twenty-five miles and longer, this
is but nineteen miles long. Additiopal
expense is the departments cry
against the extension.
A letter is being sent by Postmaster
Nimocks to the numerous patrons
along route No. which has been out
of commission for some time past, and
this explains much that the patrons
should know for the perpetuating OF
! the service. The letter is also accom-
panied by one from the department 10
| the local postmaster which in turn
gives the instructions of the depart
ment to Mr.. Nimocks as to what is re-
quired to continue rural free delivery
in this section. The letter from the
department is reply to several sent
from here with photos of the roads
depicting the condition of the
thoroughfares over which the carriers
deliver the mail. The letters to the
patrons follows. -.
Roads Must Be PassabIe.
Ottumwa, Ia, Jan. "a, 1911.
Nv, VIZ,