The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1900-11-24

Washington, Nov. 21.-An enthusiast
tic plea for a wide expansion of rural
free delivery is made in the annual
report of W. NJ. johnson, first assist
ant postmaster general. He says that
the extraordinary development of this
system during the past IL months un-
der the stimulus of appropriations of
$450,0OO for the fiscal year %1s99-1900,
and $1,750,00O for the fiscal year 1900
1901, is conclusive as showing that
hereafter it must be a permanent and
expanding feature of the postal adj
ministration. The service can now be
extended as swiftly as ongress 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.
The present policy is to extend
rural delivery in accordance with the
demands made from all parts of the
country, SO that each individual route
may be dove-tailed upon another
route hereafter to be started, and
with this idea constantly kept in view,
rural free delivery is eventually to ex-
tend over all the well-settled rural
communities in the United States.
Bearing on the question of cost, a
of the office shows hat from Decem-
Der, 1899, to November 1, 1900, 439 star
routes and mail messenger services
have been discontinued or curtailed.
Between July 1 and November 1, 1900,
the first four months of the present
fiscal year, there have been 1885 addi-
tional rural free delivery routes in
stalled, supplying 922,397 people.
Recommendation is made for a re-
classification of the post office clerks,
for five special agents of the division
of salary and allowances and for Is
days leave of absence with pay each
year for carriers on rural routes.
Commencing July 1 next, it is pro-
posed to include the cost of the postal
service of Porto REQ and Hawaii in
the regular appropriations instead of
paying the same out of the military
appropriation, as at present.
The total cost of the Porto Rican
postal service for the last fiscal year
was a little over one hundred and five
thousand dollars, and the probable
cost of the postal service for Hawaii
for the next fiscal year is $7:.sO4.
An appropriation of S1S,00O,000 is
asked for compensation of postmas-
tiers for the next fiscaryear.
The regular free delivery service
was established in CO cities, necessi-
tating the appointment of 40 car
riers. making the total number of free
delivery offices in operation June 30
last, 79j. Four free delivery Offices
have been established in Porto Rico
and Hawaii.
Regular free delivery, it is esti-
mated, will cost SIT, 10000 for the
next fiscal year, an increase of almost
nine per cent.
During the last fiscal year the pos
tai money orders issued amounted to
s2~55.67O,22s. an increase of almost $751;
1t is apparent that if. for the
two years, business of the money
order system increases in volumne
correspondingly with that of the past
year. its receipts will reach 81, 100000 0
per day. They r now about 1884,
coo. The net earnings of the money
order system were S1,340,642. The de-
partment purposes to provide money
order facilities for all localities where
they may prove convenient. The
number of offices has nov finally ex-
10000.
International money order business
is being transacted with 40 foreign
Recommendation is made
that the fees for domestic money or
ders be reduced to the maximum OF
cents for an order of 800, the min
imum of three cents to remain as at