534 ANNUAL KKFOK'l' OF THE Off. U(ic. 



It may be said that the only obstacle now encountered in the ex- 

 tension of rural free delivery is the unimproved condition of our 

 country roads. In many sections of this country the roads are what 

 are called dirt or mud roads. They are narrow and tortuous, and 

 the only work done on them is practically confined to going over 

 them with a road machine or scraper once a year. The principal 

 effect of this work is to pile up in the middle of the road all the muck 

 and rubbish which has accumulated on the sides during the rest of 

 the year, so that in wet weather, unless the soil is very sandy, the 

 whole surface becomes rutted and is soon converted into a series of 

 mud holes. This is particularly the case in most of the farming sec- 

 tions of the Middle West and to a large extent in the South; also as 

 far east as western New York and Pennsylvania. 



The Department soon became convinced that steps should be 

 taken to remedy these conditions if a desirable rural service was to 

 be provided, "\\hen it was demonstrated that the rural free-delivery 

 service would become a ])ermanent feature of the postal service of 

 the United States, the I'ost-Office Department promptly laid down 

 as one of the requirements for the establishment of rural free de- 

 livery that the petitioners for the same must agree to place the roads 

 to he traversed by the proposed service in a passable condition and 

 keep thera in repair throughout the year. Petitions including the 

 agreement that the Department's requirement in this particular will 

 be met are prompts referred to special agents for investigation. A 

 special agent drives over the highways of a proposed route, and is 

 required by the regulations to make a special report on their condi- 

 tion. In many instances special agents find themselves obliged to 

 exact a pledge from road supervisors or other officials having charge 

 of the building and maintenance of public highways that the roads 

 will be improved before the service is established, and kept in proper 

 condition after the same has been put in operation. In Iowa alone 

 over 100 agreements have been entered into between county com- 

 missioners and special agents of the rural free-delivery service to 

 open, repair and maintain roads. 



This plan is i)roducing very good results. Reports come from all 

 sections of the country to the effect that, prompted by a strong de- 

 sire to obtain rural free delivery, the people are not only insisting 

 on the improvement of roads in advance of the service, but that 

 creeks have been bridged, in many instances, by substantial stone 

 bridges, for the especial accommodation of the rural letter carriers. 



Now that I have shown what the Department is doing to bring 

 about ar. improvement of the public highways in advance of the es- 

 tablishment of rural free delivery. I will briefly explain the efforts it 

 is putting forth to effect a betterment of the roads whoie the service 

 •'J>« ' 'I i'l npci-ation for snnio fimo. and whore fnilnro in the past 



