Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1900-02-07
Senator ShOup Will Have Idaho
Represented in the Exten-
sion Of the Service.
ONE ROUTE NEAR LEWISTON
We Must Prepare a PetitiOn-FulI Intorma-
tion as to the Mode OF Procedure
Length OF Route

Senator Shoup has been endeavoring
for some time to secure rural free delivery
for a number of the larger towns aud
thickly settled communities in Idaho,
but on account of the lack of appropria-
ton for this branch OF the service, the
postmaster general has been unable to
give him any assurance that anything
could be done in this direction until after
the beginning of the next fiscal year. In
view, however, of a deficiency appropria-
ton of $4,000 having been secured in
the Urgency Deficiency Appropriation
Bill the outlook is now more encouraging.
The following information will be of in
terest to the residents of communities
who desire the rural free delivery.
Prepare petition, addressed to the
| first assistant postmaster general, and
forward to Senator Shcup, signed by the
heads Of families who desire the service,
mentioning the number i'll each family.
where the delivery is desired, whether
densely or sparsely populated, the
avocations of the people, the character of
the roads, and the distances which,
under existing conditions, each patron
has to travel to receive his mail. The
petition should be accompanied, wherever
possible, by rough draft indicating the
route or routes proposed. The purpose
of the rural free delivery system is to
carry the mail daily to remote rural com
munites the residents of which would
otherwise have to travel from two tc
twelve miles to receive their letters ant
newspapers, 1t is an essential pre-
requisite to any investigation as to the
advisability of establishing free delivery
that the roads be good. No route can b'
established that is less than from IS t.
as miles i'll length, or which serves les
than 100 families. The route should b.
so arranged that the carrier will not b
required to travel over the same grount
twice on the same day. Those desiring
the delivery must be prepared to put NJ
at their own expense, at some convenien
location which can be reached by tn
: carrier without dismounting from hi
buggy, appropriate and secure boxes fc
? the reception of L. 5. mails. Rur'
; carriers are not required to deliver ma
> to houses standing back from the mai
. road. The service is one Of mutual a,
!. couimodation. and the patrons are e.
!. perted to meet the department half wa
:. in afiording facilities for its establish
I ment. When this service is establishe
I rural carriers will be appointed at
; salary fixed by the department whit
? will include horse hire. Rural carrie
? are under the control of the postmast
= from whose Office the service is establis
, ed: they will take with them upon tho
= rounds supply of stamps, postal care
= etc. The growth of the rural free q
! livery system has been remarkable, a
: wherever it has been judicionsly
y augurated, has been followed by increas
= postal receipts; enhancement of
/, value Of farm lands reached by rural Fl
delivery system; and a general impro
ment of the condition of the ros
traversed by the rural carriers.