The Forrest City times., 1900-11-23
FREE DELIVERY SYSTEM.
First Assistant Postmaster-GeneraJ Johnson Advocates Its Con-
 tinued Expansion.
SERVICE TO BE RAPIDLY DEVELOPED.
The Question of Cost and Figures Relating Thereto-The Postal Service of Porte Rico and Hawaii-Regular Free Deliv- ery-Postai Money Order and Interna- tional Service.

tiOnoi Sorv1Ces
 Washington, Nov. 21.-An enthusias- tic plea for 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 12 months un- der the stimulus of appropriations of $450,000 for the fiscal year 1S99-19O0, and $1,750,0OO for the fiscal year 19OO- 1901, is conclusive as showing that hereafter it must be a permanent and
 expanding feature of the postal ad-
 ministration. The service can now bo
 extended as 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 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, . statement compiled from the books
 of the office shows that 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 1,33S 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 15
 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 Rico 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 $72.s04. An appropriation of $1s,O00,000 is | asked for compensation of postmas- | ters for the next fiscal year.
 The regular free delivery service
 was established in 62 cities, necessi- | tating the appointment of TO car-
 riers, making the total number of free
 delivery offices in operation June 30 last, 795. Four free delivery offices have been established in Porto Rico
 and Hawaii.
 | Regular free delivery, it is esti-
 mated, will cost $17,140,900 for the next fiscal year, an increase of almost | nine per cent.
 | During the last fiscal year the pos | tai money orders issued amounted tn | $255, ,670,2 ,22s. an increase of almost $31,-
 100000. It is apparent that if, for the | next two years, business of the money | order system increases in voiumne
 correspondingly with that of the past year, its receipts will reach $1,000.000 per day. They are now about $S64,- | 900. The net earnings of the money
 order system were s1,340,642. The de-
 pertinent purposes to provide money order facilities for all localities where | they may prove convenient. The | number of offices has now finally ex- ceeded 30,000.
 International money order business | is being transacted with 40 foreign | countries. Recommendation is made l that the fees for domestic money or | ders be reduced to the maximum of | 20 cents for an order of $100, the min- imum of three cents to remain as at present.