Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-12-26

have been ordered and wfs be put In
operation by the frs. of t,ix new year.
The whole OF the county of Carroll
win then he covered frof.. r-re central
point by travelling postofiices, and 30
minor Offices and : or 10 star routes
will be discontinued at o saving Of
great cost to the government and with
a most decided Improvement In the
service rendered to the people.
During the present session members
of congress will be asked to inspect the
rural free delivery service In Mary
land when 1t is In full operation, and
rs the distance from Washington Is not
great no doubt many senator's and rep
resentatives. particularly among those
who are deslrous of getting similar
service for their constituents, will visit
Carroll county. Upon the demonstra-
ton of the possibilities OF rural free
delivery In this section congress will
doubtless decide how muchplt viii ap-
propriate for the extension of the serv-
Ice during the next fiscal year. Neither
the first assistant nor the postmaster
general has named any specific amount
for this purpose In the estimates for
the postal appropriations. That is left
wholly to congress, and doubtless that
body, appreciating its benefits to the
country, will give the matter generous
consideration. 1t Is believed that at
least S1.Oo0O0O will be voted for this
purpose. This year's appropriation
was S300.000.
One of the matters of detail In con-
nection with the establishment of rural
free delivery to which the postal de-
partment has found it necessary to
give much serious attention Is the in
security and improper character OF the
mail boxes put up along the expert
mental routes. 'In the early days of
the service" says the first assistant
postmaster general, when neither con-
gress nor the postofiice department, as
then organized. held out any hope that
rural free delivery would prove more
than a transitory experiment, extreme
carelessness was manifested as to the
kind of receptacles put up as rural free
delivery boxes. Tomato cans, cigar
boxes and even sections of discarded
stovepipes were used as mail boxes
and were frequently placed In hedge
rows or other inconvenient spots, out
of reach of the carrier.
The department has now entered
upon a systematic effort to correct this
condition, and recommendation is
made that the government provide
uniform boxes and maintain them,
charging moderate rental. The de-
partment has devised lock box Of
iron with two compartments, one for
the reception of mail, the other for its
delivery, and with an automatic con-
trivance which raises a red or n white
flag, to indicate when there was mail
to be collected or when there has been
mail delivered.
All sorts of conveyances are employ
ed in the various sections where the
system has been put in operation for
the delivery and collection of the mails,
ranging all the way from the elaborate
postoffice on wheels used in Maryland
to the loping broncho, which the Arizo-
ma carrier bestrides. Many of the car
riers make their rounds on foot, with
mail pouch swung over their shoulders.
The personal faithfulness of these
servants of the people Is declared to
be beyond praise by the officers of the
postal department. Even in the fierce
blizzards of last winter the occasions
were extremely rare when the carriers
failed to cover their routes and that,
too. in cases where those routes led
them over the toughest mountain paths
and bleakest prairie roads. On two
routes there are girl carriers, and they
are as faithful as the men and just
as efficient. 1t is noted that instances
where rural carriers are reported for
inefficiency and misconduct are ex-
tremely rare. They are under $500
bonds, and the government has not yet
been required to call upon single
bondsman to make good any loss.
Another matter in connection with
the postoffice department which is like
ly to receive congressional consldera-
tion is the proposition to establish a
parcel post system similar to that in
operation In Germany. This govern
ment some time ago entered into con-
vention with the German government
for an international parcel post serv-
ice. which seems to be working very
satisfactorily. This has given rise TO
the notion that we could just as well
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