The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-01-18

6dS Dill - "a keit ~ gseSAsSaO ~
delivery of maiI along star routes . s
Under it's terms all future contracts
fof carrying nail on star routes will
include this increased service,
The star route contractors will have
this il mind when be puts in his bid.
The additional service will be slig ght,
and the additional cost to the gov
eminent corrsspondingly slight, but
the benefit 20 sthe people, viii beyery
great. Carriers, as general thing,
deliver mail aow along the line Of
their route By private contract for 81
or less per annum, to each family
served Ofcourse, taking it inFgross
I 6or everybody is could be done for
less ssill than for few It is con-;
fdently expected, however, that in-.
stead Of sueh service as is provided
IA this bill being charge npon the
government. il would be source of
revenue That has been the history
of all Increases of mail facilities in:
the aass The increased cost of the
service has invariably been more than
Offset By The increased revenue Incl
dent 10 better facilities.
Mr. Stokes referred to the well
known result Of reducing letter post
age from 3 per cent to 2 per cent.
Those who had not studied sucEs
matters carefully predicted an enor.
NOUS deficit. sgphf he event proved just
the reverse The same state Of facts
was found after the inauguration of
She free delivery for cities-the in-.
creased reyenue more than paid the.
increased cost of the service.
This bill Of Mr Stokes provides
that mail boxes shall be placed along
tbs asar routes on the roadside, and
for coDVeDience, numbered consecu-
tiyely from the initial point Of the
ronte Those desiring their mail
deposited in these boxes viii leave
with the nearest postmaster on each
eide Of them q written request for the.
delivery Of fhese mail to the carrier.
Designating the number OF the box in
which it is to be deposited, and
sherenpon it becomes the duty OF the
carrier TO deposit said mail in the
8 box without charge TO the addressee
Thus every person living on or.
near star route would get his mail
every time the carrier passed without
expense or loss Of time in .,oing TO
the postof6ce
It is sasy 10 see that by multiple:
cation OF the star routes radiating from
she several railroad Offices. very
cheap and effective free delivery sys
ten could be reasized-one that there
ia every reason to expect would be
come at once SELF sustaining.
For the present. the people who
get this service would have to furnish
their own boxes, but the bill contem.
plates that ultimately these shall be
farnished by the government, if the,
service justifes IL. The cost in large
numbers would be small to the gov
-ernEeut !; but that is what is being
done In many of the city districts,
says Congressman Stokes, and s.I am
This asking ooly that the country
residents be fed out of the same
spoon that she government uses TO
dish out benefits to our city cousins
Mr. Stokes does not offer this bill
as substitute for the free rural
delivery with which be has been
prominently identified in the past,
but as q supplemented propositions
sort of transition stage.
A general system of rural free
delivery is bound % come in the
evolution of our postal system. It
may be in the form already inangu.
rated here and there throughout the
: United States, OF it may be through
aome modification OF this star route
system, os it may be through .sys.
ten Of postal wsgons radiating from
several railroad Offices. But what
ever may be its final form. as approx.
ed By experiment, it will be perma-
nens system and will be self sastain.
Jog.