The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1899-11-22
Plea for Rural Mails.
Assistant Postmaster Gen. Heath )
Annual Report.

livery IS advanced IN the annual
report of First Assistant Postmaster
General Perry S. Heath. He says
the service 80 far has resulted in
increased postal receipts, enhance
ment of the value of farm lands
reached by free rural delivery of
from s. to So per acre; a general
improvement of the condition of the
reads traversed by the carrier, better
prices for farm products, the pro-
ducers being brought into daily
touch with the state of the markets,
besides educational benefits conferred
by relieving the monotony of farm
life through ready access to whole
some literature and knowledge of
current events. Ga November l
rural free delivery was in successful
operation over 3S3 routes, radiating
over forty States and one Territory,
Idaho, Wyoming, Mississippi and
Montana being the only States un.
represented.
Between the beginning of the new
fiscal year, July l, 1899, and Novem-
bsr 1, with an additional expenditure
of $3.50, 900, rural free delivery has
been extended to nearly 10000 per-
sons at an annual cost of about Sd
cents per, capita, against an average
per capita cost of 81 80 in small
towns of 5000 population.
1T is small matter to- resident
Of town." says the report, Ito be
saved walk of a few hundred yards
to the postofice, while on the con-
trary it is great accommodation to
the farmer to be spared a drive of
FIVE or ten miles over country roads
to get his mail. In a recent public
discussion advocates of the system
who took the value of the time thus
lost in the busy farming season at
only so cents per head, found that
their figures ran up into many mil
lions of dollars lost to the agricul-
tural interests through being obliged
to send to the village for the mails"
Rural carriers are shortly to be
authorized to receive and receipt for
letters for registration as city car
riers do now. The report recon-
mends the adoption of some uniform
style of mail-box for the rural free
delivery service, with two compart-
ments, one for delivery and one for
collection, with one master key for
the carrier to open the collection
compartments of all the boxes, and a
key for the delivery compartments,
to be furnished to each patron of the
delivery. These boxes are to be put
up and kept in repair by the post
Office department for rental at mod
crate prices, which would not only
pay the government interest on its
investment, but yield revenue.
The rural mail boxes would have
thrown around them the und:sputt d
protection of the United States laws.
By illustration, it is shown that
the rural service at West Chester, Pa :,
not only paid for itself, but left in
the nire months of its operation, up
to September 30, balance of S593,
after delivering 155,S95 pieces OF
mail matter at the doors of the
farmers. The reports of hostility
If postmasters and from star route
contractors are dismissed as having
no substantial grounds, and as ali
mated by no desire for the public
good.
A modification of The postal laws
is recommended to permit star route
messengers under special appoint,
ment and oath to perform rural free
delivery service.
OF the rural postal wagon expert
ment, begun in Carol county, Md
April 3, last, the report says: From
the first the service proved remarka,
bly successful. It's cost to the gov
ernment to operate is sl,375 per an
mum, including pay of postal clerk
and driver, and care of horses and
wagon. It performs the service
heretofore rendered by eight fourth
class postoffcers and four star route
carriers, the cost Of which to the
United States was about 1900 Ie1
annum.
The progress Of this experiment
has been watched with eagerness BY
agricultural communities all over tie
United States, and within few