Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-21
RURAL FREE DELIVERY
DESCRIPTION OF THE EXTENSION OF
THE SYSTEM.
Report of the First Assistant POST
ness Nearly Q Million a Day.

The, extension of rural free delivery is
treated Of at some length in the annual re-
port of W. NJ Johnson. first assistant post
master general. Mr.. johnson says that the
extraordinary development of this system
during The past twelve months, under the
stimulus of appropriations of $4,000 for
the fiscal year. 1892 1900 and 81 80 600 for
the fiscal year 19O0-1901, is conclusive as
showing that hereafter 1t must be a perma-
nent and expanding feature of the postal
administration. The service can now be eX-
tended swiftly as Congress may direct
or as the means permit until 1t 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 with
out change from colonial times. This
change, Mr.. Johnson believes, can be eff
fected without excessive cost to the gov
eminent.
Under ordinary conditions a full route is
considered to be twenty-five miles, so de-
Nised that the carrier does not pass over
the same ground twice in the same day The
congressional representative controls the
appointments. The pay of the rural car
riers is now from $500 to $500 per annum.
There are no civil service restrictions as to
sex, but 1t is inexorably required that ap-
pointees shall be of good character. The
present policy is to extend rural delivery
In accordance with the demands made from
vidual route may be dovetaled upon an
other route hereafter to be started. and
with this idea constantly kept in view rural
free delivery is eventually to extend over
all Wel-setted rural communities In the
United States. Bearing on the question of
cost statement compiled from the books
or the office shows that from December,
1899, to November l. 1900 439 star routes
and mail messenger services have been
discontinued curtailed. Between July l
and November 1, 1900. the first four months
Of the present fiscal year. there have been
1888 additional rural free delivery routes
installed, supplying 922,397 people.
Recommendation is made for reclassifi-
cation of the post office clerks, for five spe,
ciaf agents of the division of salary and
allowances, and for fifteen days leave of
absence with pay each year for carriers
rural routes.
During the last year 2S4 fourth-class post
offices were made. presidential.
Porto Rico and Hawaii.
Commencing July 1 next it is proposed to
include the cost of the postal service of
Porto Rico and Hawaii in the regular APP
preparation, instead of paying the same out
of the military appropriation, as at pres
ent.
The total cost of the Porto Rican postal
service for the last fiscal year was a little
over s1050OO, and the probable cost of the
postal service Of Hawaii for the next fiscal
year is So. S04.
An appropriation of SIS, CDO 900 ts asked
for compensation of postmasters for the
next fiscal year.
The regular free delivery service was es
tablished In siXty-tWo cities, necessitating
the appointment of 40 carriers, making the
total number of free delivery offices in OPP
GRAFTON June 30 last 795. Four free delivery
offices have been established in Porto Rico
and Hawaii. Regular free delivery, it is
estimated, will cost s17,14O.9OO for the next
fiscal year, an increase of almost 9 per cent.
Money Order System.
During the last fiscal year postal money
orders issued amounted to s255, $40, Dos, an
increase of almost sS1,OOO,O0O. 1t is ap-
parent that If for the next two years the
business Of the money order system in
creases in volume correspondingly with
that Of the past year its receipts will reach
s1,OO0,0o0 a day. They are now about
$S64,000 The net earnings of the money
order system were 81 ,34o642. The depart
ment purposes to provide money order IA
clities for all localities where they may
prove convenient. The number of offices
has now finally exceeded 10000. Interna-
tional money order business is being trans
acted with forty foreign countries. Recon-
mendation Is made that the fees for DO
nestle money orders be reduced to the
maximum of 20 cents for an order of 800,
the minimum of cents to remain as at
present.