RURAL FREE MAIL DELIVERY 169 



LESSON LIII 



EURAL FREE MAIL DELIVERY 



Using the free delivery. As the spring approaches 

 we begin to think of catalogs of seeds and plants, and 

 of the agricultural bulletins, which will give us the 

 latest information to help us in our work. We are for- 

 tunate in having a rural free delivery at our door, and 

 we shall make use of this service. 



Rural free delivery and good roads. There is no 

 modern convenience of greater importance to the coun- 

 try people than the rural free mail delivery. Although 

 it is not self-sustaining, and costs the people large sums 

 of money, it has come to stay, for the farmer sees that its 

 service is a great necessity in the promotion of his wel- 

 fare. In order to promote the greater efficiency of the 

 rural delivery service, and at the same time render ef- 

 fective aid in the improvement of roads throughout the 

 United States, the Post Office Department, and the Of- 

 fice of Public Roads have entered into a plan of co-op- 

 eration looking to the betterment of all roads where the 

 rural service is extended. Through this co-operation, re- 

 cently a county in Indiana spent $85,000 for the im- 

 provement of the rural mail routes. Upon the advice of 

 the Post Office Department, the Office of Public Roads 

 sends its engineers to inspect and advise as to the con- 

 struction of local roads. 



