Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-03-25
BAD ROADS HAMPER
DELIVERY OF MAIL
Rural P. @. Routes From Con-
gress Heights Almost Entire
Iy Deprived of Service.
OFFICIALS SEEK REMEDY

Roads about Fort Foote, Md. and be-
tween that point and Congress Heights
have gotten into such a bad condition
because of the lack of care and the rains
of the winter that residents of that
locality are only receiving one or two
mail deliveries a week Many Of the
roads have become impossible for auto
mobiles and even formers with light
wagons drawn by two stout horses have
found the battle against mud too great
for them and on a number OF instances
have had to give up attempts to reach
this city with produce.
The Post Office Department, which re-
ceives reports of bad road conditions
from all sections of the United States
and which knows bad highways when it
sees them, is the authority for the state
ment that the roads in the ST. Barnabas
and Fort Foote sections of Prince Georges
county. Md, are prize winners for bad
ness" 1t has had hard time getting
any one to contract for the rural de-
livery routes in that locality because
those who are acquainted with condi-
lions there realize that it Is impossible
for them to maintain the regular sched-
ule with the roads in such state
Two Routes in Bad Shape.
There are two routes which start from
Congress Heights and go to that section
of the county. The route known as route
B covers about fifty-six miles in circuit,
and there are a number of places in It
where the carrier has to retrace his steps
in order to reach outlying homes About
500 families are served They are sup
posed to get mail a day.
m Nd
vehicle are now engaged in covering this
territory. While they generally manage
to get along somehow. so much Tune
is consumed in getting out of holes and
mud puddles that it is never possible to
traverse more than a part OF the route
on any one day This means that some
one must miss a mail delivery.
Under Former Conditions.
Formerly the route was covered by five
horse-drawn vehicles. At that time not
as many points were touched as now are
listed In dry weather the two auto
mobiles and the one horse-drawn vehicle
have had little difficulty in covering the
fifty-six miles daily, and by reason of the
improved service which they gave under
such conditions it was possible to extend
the service to outlying points.
Residents of the locality are urging
that the old service be resumed, for
they have greater faith in horses than
in automob iles, when it comes to get
ting through mud. Fourth Assistant
Postmaster General Bla.kslee, who is
trying hard to solve the problem, says
IT may be necessary to go back to the
horses. If this is done. however. the
service will have to be curtailed slight
ly and few residents who now get
service on the days when the roads are
passable will be cut off entirely.
Plans Considered a. Conference.
Mr.. Blakslee was in conference yes
terday with other officials of the de-
partment endeavoring to work out a
plan for better service for the Fort
Foote section. He hopes to be able to
have the new service to be agreed upon
become effective April /. He explained
that the failure of the residents of the
locality to get their mail regularly does
not rest with the department, but upon
the county and state authorities hav-
ing charge of the care and maintenance
of roads. The department will try in
every possible way to get the mail to
the people. but if road conditions be-
come too bad it will be necessary to
discontinue service in the affected dis
tricts.