Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-11-22
THE MAIL SERVICE.
An Enthusiastic Plea for Rural
Free Delivery.
ANNUAL REPORT OF W. N. JOHNSON.
The First Assistant Postmaster General
Anxious to Have the Primitive Methods
Abolished = An Appropriation Of
e18,OOO,OOO Asked for.

washington, NOV. 2l.-An enthusl-
astic plea for u wide expansion Of
rural free delivery is made in the an
nual report of W. NJ. johnson, first
assistant postmaster general. He
says that the extraordinary develop
ment of this system during the past
10 months under the stimulus of ap-
preparations of $i50,OO0 for the fiscal
year 1s00-l000, and Sl,75O,OO0 for the
fiscal year 1901, is conclusive as
showing that hereafter it must be
permanent and expanding feature of
the postal administration. The serv-
Ice can now be extended as swiftly
as congress may direct or as the
means permit, until it covers all those
portions of the United States now
reached in whole or in part by the
more primitive methods of the postal
service, which have come down to us
almost without change from colonial
times. This change, Mr.. johnson
believes, can be effected without ex-
ccssive cost to the government. I'm
der ordinary conditions full route is
considered to be rs miles, so devised
that the carrier does not pass over
the same ground twice in the same
day. The congressional representa-
tive controls the appointments. The
pay of the rural carriers is now from
800 to $500 per annum. There are
no civil service restrictions, nor re-
strictions as to sex, but it is mex
orably required that appointments
shall be of good character The pres
ent policy is to extend rural delivery
in accordance with the demands from
ell parts OF the country, so that each
Individual route may be dovetailed
upon another route hereafter to be
started, and with this idea constantly
kept in view rural free delivery is
eventually to extend over all well set
tiled rural communities in the United
States.
An appropriation Of $ls,OoO,OOO is
asked for compensation of postmas-
tdrs for the next fiscal year. The
regular free delivery service was es-
tablished in 80 cities, necessitating
the appointment of 40 carriers, maxi
ing the total number of free delivery
offices in operation June 30 last 7o5.
Regular free delivery, it is estimated,
will cost S17,140,00 for the next fiscal
year, an increase Of almost nine per
cent. During the last fiscal year
postal money orders issued amounted
to $255,670,22s, an increase of almost
eal.OOo,oOO. 1t is apparent that if for the
next two years the business of money
order system increases in volume cor
respondingly with that of the past
year Its receipts will reach Sl,OO0,OOO
per day. They are now about $780,
900. The net earnings of the money
order system were Sl,34o,642. The de.
partment purposes to provide money
order facilities for all localities where
they may prove convenient. The
number of Offices has now finally ex-
cceded 10000. International money
order business is being transacted
with 40 foreign countries. Recon-
mendation is made that the fees for
domestic money orders be reduced to
the maximum of 20 cents for an order
Of 500, the minimum Of three cents
to remain as at present.
Drowned Herself because Of Despondency.
Marshall, NO.. Nov. 2O-Miss Es-
fAlIa Tabor appd % drounad bar,aif