Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-05-02
TIE N(N.RURAL RI 0.
success of New system Of Rural
Nail Delivery Tried in
Maryland.
Postmaster. General NTH Banqueted
BY People Who First Opposed
the Plan.

The Village Postmaster Done Away
With and Travelling Postofloss
Established.
Washington. May 2-The postmaster
general and a party of friends and as
4 sociates in office Went TO Westminster,
Nd. to attend unique banquet given
in his honor to celebrate the success
4 of the rural postal delivery system.
4 There have been several detached ru-
! raj delivery routes established In differ
mt parts of the country, but Carroll
lScounty, Maryland. is the only place
where the system has been introduced
as a substitute for all other forms of
the postal service and given complete
|control of the mails in any considera BILE
AREA of territory. There it was intro
4 duced in December last. and sixty
4 three fourth-class postoffices, thirty
three star routes and two messenger
services, all within the county, We're
abolished and four postal wagons OF
\ travelling postof1ices and twenty-six
|;carriers We're substituted. Altho it
WAS the most unfaNcrable season of
I the year for such an important expert
jmant--the weather Was severe, the
\ roads We're part of the time blocked
i with drifting snow and often hub deep
Wit tn mud. the mails We're choked with.
holiday packages and the mass of the.
Ip= ople. themselves We're opposed to the
innovation. Hence the success OF the.
lsex pertinent. the satisfaction of the pub
Lilo. and phenomenal increase in the
quantity of mail handled and IN reve-
nles received has given the department.
La thorough basis for comparison be-
Tween the new free rural delivery and
1 the old star route and fourth-c sys-.
item.
4 Carroll county wa selected becausesi ~
tisl a strictly farming community With 4
Iout large towns, but many scattered
Villages. and presents Typographical
and other physical conditions which
lrrnke such service difficult.
The population is about $4,000 and
THE area covered by the rural delivery
lis 3SS square miles. Under the old
/ system the farmers of Carroll county,
Hike those in similar communities thru
4 olls the United States, usually went for
Their mail once or twice a week, When
ever convenient or they depended on
4 their neighbors TO bring il out for them
4 They We're never sure of getting their
IinsiL letters and newspapers. more fire.
.Eqlently than once a week. but ! vice a
week was probably the average thru
out the county Now 1885 patrons,
Iabe,ut fifty to the square mile. are
i served daily Each postal wagon and
a fvv1t1
IAN. average of s333s miles a day. The
postal wagons serve an average
4 s4S patrons each day and the carriers
an average OF 4os. Heretofore the
q FARMERS were obliged to travel an. aver
slags of egos miles 10 tie nearest post
office Whenever they got their mail.
Now the longest distance between the
lresidences and u, boxes IN which the
3imatl is placed is lI6 yards.
TIE result Of this daily service upon,
1.-THE business and the revenues of the
slpostotfice surprises everybody. During
1.-The last quarter of the old system the
slieceipts were s6,429.2l. During the first
q quai9ter of r,lraI free delivery they We're
i S7,93i).96, an increase of 2S5 per cent
s Ther has not been an Increase IN the
81 Carrol county receipts for several
wears, $500 being about the average,
4 land considering that the increase for the
= free delivery offices of the entire coun-
Z TRY s only about s per cent per annum
"a the result in Carroll county is certainly
notable.
The increase in the quantity OF mail
was equally notable. From January to
a March the gain in the number Of letters
Ehan9led was 1913 per cent, newspapers
54.4 per cent and in postal cards and
Iothe.r kinds of matter 30.S per cent. In
!. January the free delivery handled 1896
/, l.neWspap ers, in February 9G.l24 and in
March 1859 The greater portion OF
I, this increase is due tosthe ability the
Il FARMERS under the present system Job
j ltain the Baltimore daily newspapers on
9 1.-THE same day that they are published
hand a still more rapid gain is looked fol
!. when this fact is fully realized. Hith-
!. erto there has been no object for a far.
: liner to take daily newspapers when he
was. compelled to leave them to accumu-
!, late, in the postoffice.
:. The rural letter carriers are provided
), wittl all the facilities Of an ordinary
7 Ipostotiice. The postal wagon is built or
. the same plan as a postal car. with pi,
: geon holes for the separation of the mai
b and drawers with lock and key for
Z stamps, money orders and registered
( Ilettifra. During the first quarter of the
I service the registered business, which
: had been practically nothing before. wa.
equ,alto that of an average second class
preIidential postofilce, and the receipts
y We're 1927. which shows that the far.
9 mer S wives and daughters have fount
d this a great convenience in paying bill
y and sending money to friends in othel
! iplaa,es. The actual increase in the regis
i try business was 81 per cent. The In.
IF crease in the number Of money order!
4 issued was 40 per cent.
III A comparison of the cost Of the rura
II deli very with that Of the old servic,
!. shows a net excess Of $4,000 for TIL
{, quarter which will be wiped out durln,
!. the next three months. The postoffic,
+ Off cials, in summing up the results o
the experiment In Carroll county. ex
pre- IS the greatest satisfaction and sur
78Iprise at its popularity, economy AM
i convenience.
= AS intimated, the innovation was yer.
Is unpopular at the beginning and publ
l. me etings We're held by the indignan
i citizens. The serious people sent com
3 mtttees to Washington to demonstrate
Z while the reckless ones threatened per
:. H,ov In do %ta 4