The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-21

The first annual report of First Assist
ant Postmaster General Johnson was
handed to the Postmaster General yes
terday Mr.. Johnson recommends the re-
classification OF clerks asks for five spe-
eiaI agents for the division of salaries and
allowances. and for liberal appropriations
for the rural free delivery service. He
is pleased at the operation of the present
law making the hours for letter carriers
forty-eight in six days instead of eight
hours day
At the beginning of the fiscal year CT
1900 there were 1874 first class. 500 second
class, and 3,194 third class Offices. During
the year 15 second class Offices became
first class and 1 was RELOCATED from first
to second class, leaving 20S; the second
class lost 10 Offices by advancement and
by reduction. while it gained 10 by ad-
vancement and 1 by reduction, leaving
total Of 945.
There were 3.127 third class offices on
July l. 1900 and a total Of Presidential CT
fees OF ! ESQ During the year postmas-
ters' salaries were increased TO the
amount of S492, 600.
The report recommends an appropTia-
ton of SIS, 600, 600 for salaries OF pOstmas-
tiers in 1902 and an increase in the Gppro-
priation for assistant postmasters OF $2l-.-
100
He recommends the employment OF five
special agents for the division of salaries
and allowances at s., GEO per annum salary
and 81 per diem He estimates that for
this division $50, III, 100 win be required
for 1902, an increase OF S2,252, 200
During present year free delivery vas
established at 81 Offices, with 187 carriers
Free delivery is established at 795 offices
in the United States and at San Juan,
Ponce aud Mayaguez, Porto Rico, and
Honolulu Hawaii
Honolulu. with its 20, GOO inhabitants, is
not receiving free delivery service, al
though one carrier is employed to collect
mail from letter boxes. The necessary
steps have been taken to secure the prop
er and uniform numbering OF houses ard
TO provide an eligible register from which
carriers may be selected, and as soon as
possible an adequate and efficient service
will be inaugurated.
1t is estimated that 81. I40, 600 viii be
required for this service next year. The
maintenance Of the street-caT service IS
urged During the year 44s carriers lett
the service
In the Country Districts
Under the head of rural free delivery
Mr. johnson says:
Notwithstanding the increased vigor
with which the establishment OF the rural
service has been prosecuted during the past
year, there remained upon the files Of the
bureau on the fst Of November, 1860, near
" as many cases, properly endorsed by
Representatives in Congress and comply
ing in all respects with the requirements OF
the department, asking for the establish
ment OF new service as there had been rG-
ral routes established in the three or more
years since the plan OF rural Tree ceIlVeTy
yvac vS+aIiZed iuro active life
AT the date Of this report there are dC-
tuaIly more applications pending than there
have been services established since the
first experimental rural free delivery was
star ed al Charlestown, W Va, On octo-
Der /. 1896.
The character Of the service has risen
with its breadth of extension Rural earrl-
ers now register letters, give receipts LOT
money orders, cancel stamps, and deliver
letters on their routes without their pass
ing through postofhce-
''As the rural carrier service approx
mates in its nature that established IN
cities. ii is deemed advisable that SINH
lar rules should prevail. I therefore have
recommended that the carriers on rural
routes should be allowed fifteen days leave
Of absence with pay each year, as are the
carriers in cities. Their fidelity OF seTv-
ice under conditions of weather and roads
which are often extremely trying fully JUS
tifss in nv opinion this concession
Most OF the arguments at one time ad-
vanred TO prove that the expense OF rural
free delivery would swamp the postal rev
enues and could never be counterbaIanced
by saving in other service dispensed with
or bY resulting increase of postal receipts
have been refuted by the gle OF actual
facts of which salient illustrations will be
found in other portions Of this report. In
nearly every instance where this demon
etration is not made clear the result has
arisen from confusion Of jurisdiction, sus-
ceptfbIe OF remedy by administrative or
legislative direction
On July / 1893, there were IN operation
391 services. radiating from 21S Offices in
Sc different States.
On July /. 1900, this number of services
had been increased to !, 213, starting from
$50 distributing points, extending over Y
States and Territories.
On November /. 1900. there had been es-
tablfshed 2,551 services. originating from
1851 offices in "A States and Territories On
the same date there we're pending, Enacted
upon or under Investigation in the several
divisions 2l5S petitions for the establish
ment of additional rural delivery nearly
enough to double the entire service-duly
endorsed by Representatives in Congress
from the districts interested.
The Southern Division.
In his report for the Southern division
the special agent in charge, Mr.. Conquest
Clarke, says:
Maryland has many detached services
in operation. Delaware is to have eoun-
II service. The more accessible portions
Of West Virginia have received sufficient
taste of the rural service TO induce an
aching desire for more North Carolina
and Alabama are waking up to the posi-
bilities of The rural free delivery. Vir-
ginia is to a great extent guiescent and
partly hostile. and Florida presents no ad-
equate field for an all-the-year-round
service
The applications pending from the
Southern division are from the following
States: Georgia, y; North Carolina, S5i
South Carolina, Is; Tennessee, 40; Ala
hama. 10; Maryland, Z; West Virginia, u;
Virginia, 8; Delav ere. 5: total, POS
zone Of the feaS~-es Of rural free deliv-
cry administration during the past year
which attracted more attention perhaps
than any other and brought upon the de-
partment numerous appeals for the extern
sion OF similar experimental services in
other States was the county service in
Carroll county Nd
"Cn December 20, 1899, when winter
weather and snOwstorms had put the
roads into their worst condition, an OBJ
ject-lesson in the practica bility of es-
tablishirg rural free delivery to extend
over widc area, to the exclusion of all
other service, was inaugurated in Carroll
county, Md. By order Of the Post
mater General sixty-three miner post
oFfirpS and thirfV-fvp carvicpc he cfar