Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-08-13
Rural Free Delivery.
Results Of this Years Experiment in
Farming Districts---1t Largely In
rrenst- Sc of the Mails.

Results Of this Years Experiment in
Farming Districts---It Largely In
creasts U-e of the Mails.
Congress appropriated $4,000 last win
Ger t1 enable the post-oiiice department 90
make experiments Boz "rufal free delivery
There have been other experiments iu -N-
tending the free delivery system beyond
the limits allowed by existing law. notably
Mr Wauamakers trials In the villages and
smaller towns IL was thought best 10y
the department. however, 10 undertake a
system OF free delivery IN the strictly ru-
raj districts outside OF the limits # the in
corporaied villages. An appropriation was
secured for that purpose and certain typi-
cal townships IN different parts Of the
country were selected. The inspectors
who were sent ont to observe the results
Of these trials have now returned to Wash
ington, and the department is making up
a formal report for submission to Congress
IN December.
The plan Of the rural free delivery is
this. The government pays these carriers
on an average about $500 a year. and each
man must furnish his own horse and cart,
or bicvcle. If he prefers The department
does not object % his combining other
work with that of the postal business, so
| long as 10 does not interfere with the rea-
! sonably prompt delivery of the mail The
carrier may. for instance. receive and de-
/ liver kilograms and express packages, and
be may sell writing paper and supplies Of
that kind. and also have al agency for the
sale of stamps. He must make one trip
a day. and the distance covered ranges
I from D. TO - miles. and the number Of
/ square miles provided for averages. ia the
( experimental cases. about % per man. NO
attempt is made 20 cover every house IN a
/ township. The department simply maps
/ out a route which will give the carrier q
/ reasonable daYs work, and in so doing,
/ tries 10 provide tor the largest possible
number OF people But those who are
not taken care Of must either 90 10 the
/ distant post-othce as before, or arrange for
/ boxes somewhere along the carrier route.
/ n the towns where this experiment has
/ been made. and the inspectors reports are
now Iu for North Deeriug SebegO Lake,
/ Naples. and Gorham in Maine. and Grand
/ Isle iu Vermont. the resui, of the system
/ ha. been a great increase in the amount of
! mail business. The farmers take a good
many more daily newspapers when they
{ can have them thus conveniently delivered
!
/ collected has increased wonderfully. In
/ the remote districts. with the post Office a
number OF miles away. the people get 50
ont of the habit OF writing a letter that IL
/ looks Ike an enormous task. and when
! they receive even a business cOmmuniea
/ ton OF minor importance they make no at
/ tempt 10 answer IL. But with a daily visi'
/ OF a post-ofilce representative, supplied
/ with stamps and pens and the wherewitha
OF correspondence, they develop consider
able fondness for doing business by mail.
popularity about this rural delivery il
the low price for which the carriers ar,
I willing 10 work. In the experimental at
tempt the government inspectors have beer
I authorized To engage the man who would
do 10 the cheapest, provided OF course tha
he gave evidences Of responsibility. suci
as being able 10 provide a 500 bond. II
! North Carolina successful bidder tool
! his Job at $40 a year. and furnished hi.
own conveyance. There are several S2jt
| men. but $500 seems 90 be the regulation
/ price and il is said by the department Il
be amply sufficient to hire all the men VIII,
are wanted TO do this work In the rura
districts. The principal applicants ar
farmers boys who have a barn filed wit
horses. and to whom $500 in clean none.
looks large