The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1900-08-08
RURAL
Mail Service, Will be Greatly
Enlarg d this Year.


the coming fiscal year the rural free de-
livery system will be enlarged to a great
er extent than during any similar Pc
riod in the history OF the postoftce de-
partment. In fact, during the period the
service will be more than trebled. on
July of the present year there became
available for therural free delivery ser
vice 81, $50, ,OOO At the present time there
are in the service 1868 rural free deliv-
cry carriers and 500 offices. For pay OF
these letter carriers and postmasters the
sum Of 631, 900 is necessary, and 100000 for
special agents and supplies and incident
ais. This leaves available about $4,000
to be expended during the pear.
The credit for the development of the
rfee rural delivery system of the country
is due largely to Mr. A w. Machen, the
superintendent of free delivery territory
Several years ago Mr.. Machen planned
the elaborate system of rural free deiv-
cry which it is expected will be installed
during the fiscal year. He submitted 1T to
the various department heads under
whom he has been empoley, but without
succeeding in securing the proper inter-
crest from them until Mr.. Smith, the
present postmaster general, and Mr.. Per-
ry S. Heath, recently retired from the
office Of first assistant postmaster gener-
al came into authority. Mr.. Heath un-
der whose direct charge Mr.. Machen was
placed gave his hearty endorsement of
the project, and proposed that Machen
draw up plans for the extension of the
service and promised that an effort
would be made to secure a sufficient ap-
projriation. He was much surprised that
Mr. Machen had already prepared such
yoI f,,f I,av
was contended at first that the proposed
system would not pay for itself, but that
it would have a tendency to add to the
postal deficiency The early experiments
proved the falsity of the contention,
and a practical operation of the rural
free delivery routes in the different parts
of the country settled it beyond all ques-
ton.
An order which was issued last week
by Mr.. Charles Emory Smith, the post
master general, in creases the drop
letter postage on these routes from lc
to &c. 1t makes other changes for the
good of the service and to increase its
efficiency The order in full follows:
l. That on and after August l, the
drop" letter or 1c rate OF postage, Will
not apply within rural free delivery lin
it's. The &c ounce rate will be exacted
within such delivery upon all hrst-class
matter except postal cards.
2 That the introduction of rural free
delivery will not increase or otherwise
modify the present rate of postage on
second class matter
8. That rural free delivery carriers
will not bring to the postoffice mail mat
ter collected by them which may be de-
livered on their routes before completing
their trips.
A. That stamps upon mail matter COL
lected by rural free delivery carriers,
including those on matter delieverd en-
route will be cancelled by them and re-
ported to the postmaster, who Will de-
rive the benefit of the cancellation II the
office is fourth-class
5. That until suitable rubber cancelling
stamps can be supplied by the depart
ment, rural free delivery letter carriers
will cancel stamps with indelible pensils'
recently furnished them for use in regis
tering letters.
The increase OF the rural free deliv-
cry system during the year to some VIII
exceed 5000 additional carriers and 2OOO
additional offices. Mr.. Machen says that
every application for the establishment
of free delivery route in the United
States which has been received thus far
will be granted. The following table Will
show the changes to be made in the
states Of the west and northwest: