The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-10

estimate 100000 of this number live in
territory beyond the possible range OF free
cost of the service as it now exists is s27
cents per capita AT this rate the cost for
q ,o0o,o 600 people would be SO. 467. 900;
as the basis. There are in the United
States, excluding Alaska, 2,S43 counties.
Applying the same percentage; which on
terminative of the area to be
considered, 1t is found that 1881
counties. or their equivalent; are
suited to free delivery: The cost IN Car.
service is in operation, is SO, 500. In Wash
ington county, Tennessee, the cost is sl5,-
600. The average of the two is sl9.O5O. III
they were fair samples this might be taken
as a basis, but both counties are billy,
their physical subdivisions are irregular,
and 1T is the opinion of SPECIAL agents who
have given the subject careful study that
the cost is higher by one-third than IL would
be in counties of the Middle-western States.
which are generally level, and where the
roads are laid out on the section and quar-
ter-section lines. 1t is estimated that one
half of the 1881 counties are of the latter
class. and may be served at a cost one
third below the average of Carroll and
Washington, or that the average cost for
the whole would be one-sixth less. This
would make the average cost per county
SIS, 500, or 81 .029. 500 for the 1881 counties.
THE OTHER SIDE.
lHtSc cluO VI
bring results which closely approach each
other and their average. 500. 500. SOC. may be
accepted as a fairly approximate estimate
of the gross annual cost of maintaining
rural free delivery throughout the territory
where it is reasonably feasible. But it
presents only one side of the account
In order to ascertain the net cost of such
a general extension it is necessary to de-
duct from this amount the savings effected
by the discontinuance of. other service
which free delivery displaces and the in
creased receipts it may be expected to
bring. The sum of these items can only
be inferred from the indications already
given. Where a solid county service has
been established it dispenses with about
q per cent. of the fourth-class offices, and
has done it with little friction at first and
with full and hearty concurrence In the
end. The substitution of carriers has al
layed any discomfort that has grown out
of the abolition of the offices. Ii the pro-
portion which has prevailed in the full
county services thus far organized were
to rule through a general extension OF free
delivery as above outlined. II would lead
to the discontinuance of 80, 420 offices, in
volving an annual saving, reckoning the
average compensation at $40, of y, s5e, 400.
On the same basis there would be a saw
ing of $500, 900 through the discontinuance
of star routes.
AlC itl&lCdc vi ltltlut WIFI VII NC
directly effected by free delivery. and
which must be taken into account, can also
be approximately calculated The gross
receipts of the postal service for the year
ending jun 20, 1900, were S102. 354. 579. %. OF
this amount. $50, 195, O91. 90 came from pl esi-
Dental offices, leaving $40. 159. 49, SO as the
receipts of the fourth-class offices. a
critical examination of the reports shows
that the increase in the revenues last year,
outside of the free delivery Offices, was 2.49
per cent. But the increase in Carroll coun-
ty, after the establishment of rural deliv-
cry, even greater at first, was fully 10 per
cent. for the year, showing that an in
crement of ISL per cent. can be credited
directly to the introduction of this service.
THE figures of other experiments con-
firm this calculation. Applying that per-
year, outside of free-delivery Offices, IL
points as the immediate fruit OF the general
extension of rural delivery TO IN increase
I'm revenue Of s.. 513, 976.50 Indeed, this is
believed to be a moderate estimate. AS the
extension would require a considerable
period for its execution, the revenues
would be constantly growing before its
complete contamination, and the proper
tionate increase would be the greater. But
taking the conservative exhibit, the net
result of the extension Of rural free deliv-
cry 10 1.0O0,e00 square miles, or all the
eligible portion of the country. would
stand thus:
Estimated gross SOC. SIS, 800
Deduct estimated savings
from discontinuance of
f~ourth-class Offices Of. 81, 759, 400
Deduct estimated savings
from discontinuance of
star 2.500.000
Deduct increased receipts. 1,5lS.976