The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-11-18
Spend S6,O00,000.
Kansas VIII Place That Amount
on Roads i'm 1914.
Postoffice Department and Mall
Carriers Cause Work.

~ o0O 600 ON roads next year. The post
Office department is waking up the
farmers to the need and value OF I'M
proved highways that are passaDle TOT
! loads at all seasons of the year. Kan
sas only has about a hundred miles OF
rock roads and so much, OF the state
is so far from good stone qua
that it is too expensive to even con-
slider rock roads to any extent. ou.
the soil formations are such that IN
most of the state dirt road can pe
built and when properly maintaineu
! can he used for heavy teamlnS 1T a.
seasons.
But Kansas has done little foau
work. Two years ago the postonce
| denartnent sent an inspector to KAN
| sas to go over the rural free dehV-
erv mail routes throughout the state.
A printed notice was served ON eacn
| patron of each route that tne ni8n
ways along the routes must be MAN.
| tanned in such condition that the rurAl
carriers could keep their scneouies
| throughout the year. If this was not
possible. the route would be discon-
tinued over portions where the ROADS
were not maintained.
This caused a lot Of road work 10
be done, but there were many SCI
lions of mail routes that were neglect
ed. The rural routes were not as
continued as threatened and the farm
ers began letting the roads go to
pieces.
Another Inspector Comes.
About October 1 another inspector OF
the postoffice department came to Kan
sas and he has been going over the
rural routes as fast as he could reacn
| them He started in in the northwest
corner of the state and is WORKING
eastward. He found the roads In fairly
good condition in western Kansas ana
| where there we're bad places he stirred
up the farmers to fixing up the roads
at once.
The inspector struck Republic coun-
ty last week and went out on one
route that was in fair condition. The
next day he went out on route No. 2.
| The carrier told him of the refusal OF
farmers to keep up the road and the
inspector found a part of the roadway
in such condition that the team could
not make four miles an hour when the
schedule called for six. He told the
men to get busy. The next day the
inspector went over the route again and
| found that the farmers were paying no
attention to the road warnings. Two
or three said they guessed the gov
eminent would not discontinue the mail
route"
The inspector went back to Belle
Vile and the following day there was
no mail in the boxes along seven miles
OF the regular route, except a little note
from the postmaster at Bellevue. This
| note said that on account Of the poor
condition Of the road for seven miles
that the route had been discontinued
over that section and changed to an
other highway that was in fairly good
condition.
Shown Two-Year- Old Notice.
The patrons along the route were
indignant and swarmed down to the
Belleville postoffice. But the postmas-
ter smiled and showed them copies OF
, the notices sent out two years ago te
improve the roads or the routes would
be discontinued. Most of the farmers
| tees.
From the postoffice the farmers went
to the county court house and every
one promised to have one team ready
the next Monday morning to do road
work and within a week the entire
, seven miles of road had been built an6
as soon as it gets settled will be smooth
and hard as any dirt road could be
Moreover the farmers have promised
to maintain it and, beginning Deem
Der 1, the mail route will be changed
back to the old line.
. w. S. Gearhart. state highway engi.
neer, has been gathering some figures
about road building and he asserted
!. the other day that Kansas had ter
miles Of good roads to one five year.
, ago. Most of this road building has
, been done in the last two years and
since the postoffice sent out its warn
ing. The road taxes to be used next
, year are being collected. taxes being
| due in Kansas in November, and it i.
estimated that the state will spend q
little over $4,000. 900 next year in road
and bridge building and maintenance
work.
In the year just closing $500, 0o'
were spent on the roads in the state
Five years ago the road funds never
i exceeded 81. 900 900 in any single year